


Mr. Pavus Hears A Rumor

by WritingEmi



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Regency, Engagement, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Holidays, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Romance, Rumors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-09-24 04:44:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17094158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingEmi/pseuds/WritingEmi
Summary: Dorian Pavus is no stranger to rumors about himself, but he is beyond shocked to hear that the whole town believes he is engaged to his dear friend, Colonel Bull Ashkaari. Where, in the Maker's name, did they get that idea?-A regency holiday-ish story about misunderstandings that no one asked for.





	1. Mr. Pavus Is Asked A Question

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this as I work through my writer's block for my other story. I wanted to finish this for the holidays, but that won't happen. Still, I wanted to post the first installment of it before I head out for vacation as a small holiday treat :)

Lake Celestine was covered in a blanket of fresh snow with the sun glistening against the whiteness when it popped out from behind the clouds. The snow and the cold set a comfortable hush over the entire neighborhood, creating a peace that even those in the countryside were unused to. It was as if the weather knew that everyone was still hungover in the days following Master Varric Tethras’s First Day Ball. 

Dorian Pavus was not still hungover, but sitting at his vanity and rubbing at his arches, he acknowledged that his feet were still aching from dancing almost the entire night.

Master Tethras’s annual ball was the most anticipated social event at the town of Lake Celestine and the ball’s glitters and charms did not disappoint. Its endless flow of champagne and spiced wine served alongside tables laden with honeyed ham and tiny cakes to celebrate the first of the year kept everyone happy. There was plenty of dancing at the ball which supplied ample opportunities for people to fall in love, countless card games to reap in a fortune, and quiet garden corners for reflection or to hide more scandalous actions.

Dorian smiled fondly at the memory of the splendid time he had at the ball, spending it almost exclusively in the company of his close friend, Colonel Bull Ashkaari. Thinking of the good Colonel, Dorian peeked out through the lace curtains of his bedroom window, which afforded a fine view of the trees that lined the properties of Skyhold Manor and Chargers Lodge. As he expected, he spotted a great blond horse with a fine horned figure upon it, dressed in a long overcoat riding up the snow covered path from the trees and approaching Skyhold Manor.

He never tired of the compliment the Colonel paid him by just visiting. Employed as a tutor for the younger brother of Lady Ellana Lavellan, Dorian was keenly aware that he was just a mere step above a household servant, even though his employer and her family treated him with the utmost respect. And much like his employer, Colonel Ashkaari did not think much of social status and happily formed an intimate friendship with Dorian.

Slipping on his emerald waistcoat that flattered his eyes and a light grey coat to match his trousers, Dorian glanced into the mirror to make sure not a single hair was out of place and his makeup was still perfect before throwing open the door and rushing out of his bedroom. He hurried downstairs and in his haste Dorian almost collided with the maid, Flissa, in the hallway.

“Pardon me, Flissa, I didn’t mean to nearly run you over,” Dorian apologized to her with a shallow bow. “But since you are here, may I ask for a pot of tea and two cups? Perhaps some of those sugar cookies too, if the cook is willing to give them up.”

Instead of lowering her gaze to the floor to avoid Dorian’s eyes, Flissa actually smiled shyly at him. A rare sight indeed. “Are you expecting the Colonel to call on you, Mr. Pavus?”

“Ah, yes,” he admitted, a little thrown off by the friendliness of her inquiry, “I saw him coming this way just a moment ago from my bedroom window.”

Her smile widened by a fraction. “Very good, Mr. Pavus. I’ll fetch the tea and those cookies right away.”

“Thank you, Flissa.”

Dorian made his way to the small sitting room on the west side of the manor that Lady Lavellan gave him for his use. The west facing windows inconveniently let in the harsh afternoon light and it was much too small to entertain more than a couple people, but it fit Dorian’s needs just fine. Outfitted with a comfortable sofa and armchair set and a coffee table, it also boasted softly patterned blue wallpaper, a modest red brick fireplace, and small oak writing desk, ideal for Dorian to pen his letters.

He sat down at the desk, taking out the letter he was currently composing to his friend, Maevaris, and managed to write an entire sentence before the Colonel was announced.

The Colonel stepped into the room, filling the confined space with his presence and finely dressed in a dark purple suit jacket and white trousers and wearing a shined obsidian eyepatch. Colonel Bull Ashkaari was almost a greater oddity to Lake Celestine’s society than Dorian was. He was a former Tal-Vashoth mercenary captain who won the favor and attention of Madame Vivienne de Fer. His patroness took him under her wing and generously purchased a commission for him with Her Majesty’s army. With the army, the Colonel achieved distinction, rank, and wealth before retiring nearly two years ago to the property adjacent to Skyhold Manor at Chargers Lodge.

For all the scars on his face, his missing eye, and wide menacing horns, Dorian found Colonel Ashkaari to be one of the most kindly and gentlemanly behaved members of the neighborhood.

Dorian stood up from his desk at the Colonel’s presence and didn’t bother to hide his smile when the Colonel crossed the room to kiss Dorian’s hand. The Colonel, Dorian readily acknowledged, was a giant flirt and Dorian happily ate up the positive attention.

“I hope I was not interrupting you, Dorian,” the Colonel said apologetically.

“Perhaps you were,” Dorian teased, “but I shall never refuse your company, Bull. You are in luck, I just ordered my afternoon tea and a light snack a moment ago, and there should be enough to share.”

They sat on the sofa together, perhaps a hair closer than would could be considered appropriate, but neither of them was too worried about it. As outsiders in society and northerners, they formed a quick bond once the Colonel arrived in town and they could not stand to be overly formal with each other.

The tea arrived shortly, along with the cookies that Dorian requested, all carefully balanced on a silver tray. Flissa also thought to bring a spread of scones with jam, delicate finger sandwiches, and tiny Dalish styled tarts. Dorian was shocked to see the extra food as Flissa placed the tray on the table, Flissa nor the cook were ever so considerate, and he quickly brushed it off as leftover good cheer from the holiday.

“This is what you consider a light snack?” Bull asked, barely able to conceal his mirth as he poured their tea from the hand painted porcelain pot. He knew exactly how to fix Dorian’s tea with just a splash of milk.

“Perhaps Flissa spotted you in the hallway,” Dorian reasoned. “Now, you must tell me all you may know about the business between Lady Montilyet and Captain Rainier, Lady Lavellan is most eager to know.”

“The last I heard, they’re planning to elope in Val Royeaux.”

“I cannot believe it!” Dorian exclaimed, shock overtaking him. “No, I simply refuse to believe that Lady Montilyet and Captain Rainier are planning to elope.”

The Colonel smiled warily at Dorian’s reaction. “And why not, Dorian? Are you so scandalized that a noble should marry an army officer?”

“Scandalized? Not in the slightest, my dear Colonel. But in disbelief? Most certainly,” Dorian corrected. “I just cannot believe that Captain ‘Blackwall’ Rainier, the glum fellow that he is, would do anything that would make himself so completely happy.”

That enticed a deep, booming laugh from the Colonel, the one that sent pleasant chilled through Dorian’s body. “Now that might be the most convincing argument as to why they aren’t going to elope,” Bull’s lips pulled into a sideways grin. “Thom is pretty determined to be miserable.”

“That he is. Now, do you have any information about that dwarf Varric was speaking to so secretly? That clever young woman, Lady Bianca, I believe her name was.”

“Oh, Dorian,” the Colonel grinned widely, “do I have a story for you.”

There was much to talk about between them. Even though the First Day Ball had passed days ago and Bull faithfully visited Dorian every day after the event, there was still ample gossip and rumors to dissect. The Colonel was keen observer of human nature and he could provide tantalizing details to the whispers Dorian heard. Lake Celestine was small countryside Orlesian neighborhood and rumors ran through it like wildfire.

As the hours passed in each other’s company and the sun was beginning to sink into the west, Dorian thought to ask the Colonel to supper for the third time that week. Lady Lavellan never objected to having extra guests at her table and Commander Rutherford was always happy to speak with the Colonel, but Bull derailed Dorian’s musings.

“I hope you won’t be too angry with me, Dorian, but I will need to leave for Val Royeaux tomorrow morning and will be gone for a few weeks.”

“Oh,” Dorian was both a little surprised and disappointed to hear that. “So soon after the holiday?”

“Krem, my old second in command, is quartered in the city for the winter. I promised him months ago that I’d work with his men after First Day,” Bull explained promptly. “But once I get back, I promise I won’t leave the neighborhood for the rest of the winter.”

“Well, I may notice that you’re gone,” Dorian tried for aloofness, but the small smile on Bull’s face told him that he failed. “I suppose you cannot go back on an obligation to the famed Captain Aclassi, but you’ll have to make it up to me once you return.”

The Colonel’s large, warm hand covered Dorian’s. “I certainly will.”

“And perhaps tonight you’ll grace me with your presence at supper before you leave me.”

“Of course,” the Colonel agreed warmly, “it’ll be my pleasure.”

It was presumptuous of Dorian to invite the Colonel to a table that was not rightfully his own, but in the past the pair was content to dine on a light meal in Dorian’s sitting room when Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford were unavailable. There was always a slight feeling of anxiety whenever Dorian invited Bull to dine with him, a sick churn of knowledge that he was the master of no household and overly conscious of his position.

As if she knew she was needed to alleviate Dorian’s worries, Lady Ellana Lavellan strode into the sitting room. She commanded their attention by the sheer force of her confidence, since her manner of dress was always woefully understated, much to Dorian’s chagrin, in her Dalish greens and browns and distinct lack of shoes.

“Flissa just told me that you were here, Colonel,” Ellana announced, “and I could not let you leave without asking you to dine with us tonight.”

So it was settled, much to Dorian’s relief. Dinner was a quiet affair with Dorian seated next to the Colonel as they supped with Ellana, Cullen, and Ellana’s much younger brother, Mahanon. The white cloth covered dining table held a simple spread of roasted meat, vegetables, and freshly baked bread, and tarts for dessert. There was neither presumption nor grandeur at Ellana Lavellan’s table, only dignity and good company. 

“I’m disappointed to hear that you’ll be leaving for Val Royeaux, Colonel,” Cullen expressed his grief at the news of the Colonel’s temporary departure from the neighborhood. “There are too few people in Lake Celestine who aren’t busy plotting and scheming.”

“When you settle in Orlais, Commander, you are bound to be surrounded by Orlesians,” Dorian tutted.

“True enough,” the Commander conceded with humor.

“Will you be fighting shems in Val Royeaux, Colonel Bull?” The eight year old Mahanon asked eagerly and with far too much excitement, causing his shem brother-in-law to nearly choke on a mouthful of wine.

“Mahanon!” Ellana chided her younger brother, though Dorian could see her trying to conceal her smile.

“Hopefully not,” the Colonel answered the boy quite seriously. “I just got my dress uniform cleaned and shem blood is impossible to get out.”

The boy nodded in solemn understanding, while both Dorian and Ellana tried to hide their laughter behind their napkins. Even Commander Rutherford chuckled softly in amusement. It was the effect that Colonel Ashkaari had upon people and he connected extraordinarily well with both nobility and servants, with adults and children.

Dorian’s heart warmed as the Colonel entertained young Mahanon with his stories, making the stern Commander Cullen grin, and at one point made Ellana snort aloud with laughter. Soon after dinner, Mahanon inhaled his dessert and departed the moment Ellana excused him from the table. The rest of the group lingered over the remains of the meal, sipping on hot tea and nibbling on lemon tarts before the Colonel finally excused himself.

“I’ll see you out, Colonel,” Dorian said and was pleased when the Colonel offered him his arm. Linking his arm with the Colonel’s, Dorian escorted the other man to the front door. “I do have a bottle of fine Antivan brandy that Maevaris sent to me for First Day,” Dorian started, hoping to stall parting from Bull. “I’d be happy to open it tonight.”

“You know exactly how to tempt me, Dorian, but I still need to pack and get a decent night of sleep so I can get an early start on the road tomorrow.”

“Doesn’t your steward oversee your packing?” Dorian asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“Nah, Stitches has better things to do than making sure my smalls make it in the trunk,” the Colonel shrugged helplessly as he retrieved his overcoat and they stepped out into the bitter cold of an Orlesian winter night.

Any other time, Dorian would have sought shelter from the elements, but this time he stood out to wait with the Colonel for his horse. The Colonel, the gentleman that he was, immediately draped his overcoat over Dorian’s shoulders and wound his maroon scarf around Dorian’s neck. The coat smelled of the Colonel, a warm and spicy scent that made Dorian’s toes curl in his boots, and the scarf was made of cashmere and was soft against his skin.

“You’re too lenient on your staff,” Dorian gently admonished Bull for the hundredth time. “I’m sure they’ll hardly even notice that you’ve departed for Val Royeaux.”

“They may not, but I wonder if you will,” Bull asked, his smile was almost sheepish.

“I do believe I will. Things will be rather dull without you around,” Dorian admitted. “I might even be forced to socialize outside of our circle of friends,” Dorian shuddered at the thought and the cold. “Can you imagine it? Me, being forced to be friendly with Orlesians? Perish the thought.”

“I’m sure it won’t get that dire. I’ll be back before you know it, Dorian,” Bull reassured him as Dennett brought Bull’s beast of a horse from the stables. Then, as Horse Master Dennet approached with Bull’s horse, Bull stepped closer into Dorian’s space, clasped their hands together, and boldly pressed a kiss on Dorian’s cheek. “Save the brandy for when I return.”

“You’re always such a terrible flirt,” Dorian accused softly as his cheeks felt unnaturally hot in the wind. He slipped off the overcoat and handed it back to the Colonel. “I’m keeping the scarf,” Dorian declared, tugging at the soft cashmere, “you may collect it upon your return.”

The Colonel smirked as he hoisted himself up onto his horse. “It looks better on you anyway.” 

“I know,” Dorian preened. “Now, do take care of yourself, Bull.”

“You too, Dorian.”

Dorian ducked back inside the house, loathing to part from the Colonel, but eager to warm himself back up. As usual, Dorian headed to the library to read until bedtime, though he was quick to note that he was not alone. Light and quick footsteps pitter-pattered against the floorboards behind Dorian and it was no surprise to him when he turned around to find his young charge clutching onto a thick tome of Tevinter folk tales.

Even though Dorian had the two weeks after First Day off for his own leisure, he knew that he would indulge Mahanon. “Ah, Ser Lavellan,” Dorian addressed the boy formally, making Mahanon snort with derision, “are you planning on reading aloud to me in Tevene tonight?”

The boy scrunched up his nose. “I can’t read Tevene!”

“Well then! I suppose that book will make a good paper weight,” Dorian nodded to the thick book in the boy’s hands.

“Mr. Dorian!” Mahanon rolled his eyes before asking, “Will you read the story about the cows that flew over Minathrous for me?”

“Ah, a classic,” Dorian sighed happily. “I suppose I might, though your sister is becoming concerned about your fascination with Tevinter,” he winked as he took the book from Mahanon.

He sat in the leather chair near the fireplace and opened the book to the requested story while Mahanon made himself comfortable on a pillow on the floor. Dorian easily slid into Tevene, the familiar sounds of his homeland’s native language bringing an old, sad comfort to him. 

Mahanon couldn’t read the written words, but the boy was clever enough that he could follow along to the spoken language. However, barely a page into the story, Dorian could see his young charge shifting restlessly in his seat, his eyes wandering the room instead of fixated on Dorian. Worry swelled in Dorian as the young elf was usually an attentive listener.

“Mahanon,” Dorian stopped his reading, “is there something wrong?”

The boy squirmed at the question and suddenly, in a burst of unexpected energy, he asked, “Mr. Dorian, are you going to marry Colonel Bull?” 

“Marry the Colonel?” The book in Dorian’s hands snapped shut as he blinked in surprise. The idea shocked Dorian and to hear it from the young boy’s mouth threw him off even more. For a rare moment in his life, Dorian was speechless. Finally, he regained his wits and asked, “Maker’s breath, Mahanon, wherever did you get that idea?”

The boy’s cheeks heated at Dorian’s response and he shrugged self-consciously.

Dorian nearly laughed aloud, but kept his amusement to himself due to the serious look on his charge’s face. Considering the Colonel’s frequent visits and his overly familiar nature, Dorian should’ve expected that Mahanon might get ideas or even worse, the staff might. He needed to remind himself to be more careful and while he did not mind rumors about himself, he did not want to accidentally damage Bull’s reputation.

Gently, Dorian explained, “Colonel Ashkaari and I are dear friends, Mahanon, but we are not engaged to be married.”

“Why not?” the boy asked bluntly.

“Well, for starters, the Colonel has not asked me.”

“But you could ask him?”

A fragile smile spread across Dorian’s lips. “I am a man of no family, no status, and no wealth. It would be highly insulting to Colonel Ashkaari if I were to propose marriage. Also, the Colonel is Tal-Vashoth and his people do rarely marry. So as you can see, it is a hopeless business, I am not engaged to the Colonel nor anyone else.”

Mahanon frowned, his brow furrowed before he shook his head. “I didn’t think so,” Mahanon agreed finally, “Colonel Bull didn’t get you a halla calf or ask your Keeper, so how could you be engaged?”

This time Dorian did laugh. “No, the Colonel has not presented me with a halla calf, so no thoughts of matrimony can even be considered. Though I have no Keeper, that may be why he has not proposed,” Dorian teased.

“Ellana can act as your Keeper, she’s smart enough for it even if she isn’t a mage,” Mahanon determined. “Tell Colonel Bull that if he wants to marry you that he has to ask my sister first and that I promise to help look after any halla calf he brings.”

“My dear Mahanon, should the good Colonel present me with a halla calf, you shall name it,” Dorian solemnly promised to the boy’s delight.


	2. Mr. Pavus Is Confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian goes on an outing and is generally confused by everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very happy holidays to everyone!

The days following Colonel Ashkaari’s departure were quiet ones for Dorian. Without his friend or work to divert him, Dorian spent many long hours reading in the library, writing letters in his sitting room, and playing chess with the Commander. But too quickly he began to feel restless, the weather was too cold for walking into town and with no forthcoming invitations to afternoon teas or parties, boredom threatened to overtake Dorian completely. So it was a great relief when Lady Lavellan asked him to go to town with her.

“Dorian, I will be taking the carriage into town this morning, would you like to accompany me?” Lady Lavellan asked over the morning meal as they dined in the small breakfast room off of the kitchen. “I have some business to attend to, but I thought you might enjoy a trip out. You can only play so many games of chess with Cullen before you become stir crazy, I know from experience.”

“I would be delighted,” Dorian agreed readily. “It is excellent timing as I do have a few errands to attend to in town.”

“Perfect, we shall depart after breakfast.”

Once breakfast was finished, Dorian went upstairs to his room and bundled himself in layers to prepare for the trip out. A warm overcoat was necessary over his wool suit and matching hat, along with gloves lined with fennec fur and the Colonel’s cashmere scarf to complete the ensemble.

Ellana waited for him outside by the carriage, her feet still without shoes though wrapped in thick cloth and her body was simply draped in her dress and a green cloak. She snorted out a small laugh at Dorian’s attire.

“Not all of us were raised without shoes and in the woods, Lady Lavellan,” Dorian sniffed indignantly. “Some of us were raised in a proper climate.”

“Is that not the Colonel’s scarf?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It is,” Dorian confirmed, “he may claim it once he returns.”

Ellana’s eyebrow arched even higher before she finally turned away and climbed into the carriage.

It was a short ride into town. The town of Lake Celestine was nothing to the grandeur of Val Royeaux, but it provided a level of respectability and self-importance that came with living in a countryside town. Many of the nobles who resided there also kept apartments and houses in the city, while a robust population of commoners kept things moving. Despite his background, Dorian found himself exceedingly attached to some of the more colorful characters in town. He was dangerously fond of the town.

The carriage stopped in front of the Golden Nug Inn and both Ellana and Dorian stepped out onto the marble walkway. “I have a meeting to attend to at the inn,” Ellana said evasively, “but come meet me here in an hour or so and I’ll buy you lunch.”

“Are you moving lyrium again, Lady Lavellan?” Dorian was only half joking. “You do meet with that Cadash dwarf quite often.”

“This time it’s a Vashoth mercenary,” Ellana corrected with a cheeky grin before ducking into the inn in a swirl of green fabric.

Left on his own, Dorian started about on his errands. His first stop was to the post office, he was expecting a package or two and had his own letters with First Day greetings to mail off. With any luck, he would receive a holiday package from Felix. 

“Good morning, Mr. Pavus!” Lace Harding greeted enthusiastically as Dorian stepped into the small post office.

Dorian nearly stopped in his tracks at the doorway, caught off guard by the vigor of Harding’s welcome. The postwoman was always cordial to Dorian, though rarely with such friendliness.

“Good morning, Miss Harding,” Dorian replied, approaching the counter. “I hope that you might have a package or two for me.”

“Indeed, I do!” Harding confirmed with a nod. She ducked into the back room and reemerged with two packages neatly wrapped in brown paper and tied tightly with twine.

Dorian spotted the label on one of them, seeing the address of the Orlesian tailor Dorian ordered Bull’s suits from. Both Dorian and Madame de Fer agreed that the man simply could not be trusted to choose his own and needed assistance. The Colonel gave Dorian the money and told him to choose whatever clothing he thought would be best, but was insistent on picking out the colors himself.

“Ah! The Colonel’s new suit! He’ll be most pleased when he returns.”

“Oh!” Harding’s face broke out into a wide toothy grin. “Are these the Colonel’s wedding clothes?”

“His wedding clothes?” Dorian’s back straightened in shock at the question, his mind automatically returning to Mahanon’s curious inquiry to him a few nights before. He immediately shook off those thoughts, but remained in the dark over what Harding was speaking of. 

“Maker, I ...” Dorian stumbled over his words before he regained his footing. “Pardon me, Miss Harding, but what makes you think that I am receiving the Colonel’s wedding clothes? Or that the Colonel is in need of wedding clothes at all?”

The toothy grin on Harding’s round face refused to diminish. “I get it, I get it, it’s hush-hush,” she actually winked at him, “but I still think it's sweet.”

“I, uh,” confusion befuddled him, “I hardly know what you are speaking of, madam.”

“Of course,” Harding smiled with satisfaction. “Anything else I can help you with, Mr. Pavus?”

Dorian grabbed the thick envelopes tucked into his coat, laying them out on the counter along with several coppers. “Yes, I do have a couple letters to mail out.”

“Very good, sir,” Harding’s confounding grin managed to widen. “I’m sure you’ll be sending out many letters soon enough.”

“Uh,” Dorian had no idea what she was speaking of, “not more than usual, no.”

But that did not discourage Harding, having the appearance of a woman in on a secret. Dorian only wished that he was in on it as well.

He bid Harding goodbye and hurried out of the post office, feeling oddly confused by the whole experience. The cold air helped to shock him out of his daze and reminded Dorian of his other errand in town. Rushing down the walkway with his parcels under his arm, Dorian popped into the welcoming warmth of Aravel Books.

Aravel Books was a lovely shop owned by a delightfully sweet Dalish elf named Merrill Sabrae. Once inside, Dorian was immediately hit with delicious heat from the rune fueled fireplace and the smell of old, secondhand books that sat on oak shelving. The one room shop was crammed with books of all sorts and the windowsills were lined with beautiful plants. The counter near the front of the room was unoccupied, but all Dorian had to do was call for Merrill.

“Oh, Mr. Pavus!” His name rang out with excitement as Merrill’s head popped up from behind the counter. “Are you here about your books? I mean, what else would you be here for? Oh, though maybe you stopped to say hello.”

“I am here about my books, Miss Sabrae, but you know that I can never leave town without saying hello to my favorite bookstore owner.”

“Well, I am the only bookstore owner in town. Unless you count that Orlesian fellow with the funny picture books where everyone is naked. His store is so dark, why is that?” Merrill tilted her head in wonder. “But your books just came in.” Merrill grabbed Dorian’s package from the back shelves and plopped it onto the counter. “They look really interesting, I don’t know that much about necromancy.”

Dorian quickly looked around the store, hoping no one overheard her nearly shout the word necromancy. Thankfully he did not see anyone else in the store. “Thank you, Miss Sabrae.”

“I also sent a crate of books to Chargers Lodge,” she cheerfully informed him, catching his interest immediately. “I think they’re the books you ordered last month.”

“Wonderful!”

“The Colonel is awfully sweet,” Merrill sighed happily. “A library is such a nice present.”

“Oh, the books are not a present,” Dorian explained, not sure for whom such a present would be for. “The Colonel asked me to help him select books for his library and I was more than happy to help. You know as well as I do that his library is sinfully bare, I have no idea how he could stand it for so long. A person simply cannot live in such a state!”

Merrill’s face lit up and her eyes were bright. “I understand now! You couldn’t live at Chargers Lodge without a proper library then.”

“No one can!” Dorian answered with passion. “The Colonel is a great reader, but he has the dreadful habit of borrowing books. He claims that he tries not to keep too many possessions, a quirk from his days in the military. This, I hope, is a good step towards civilizing Colonel Ashkaari.”

“Is the Colonel not civilized? But he always wears such a nice coat and his eyepatch is so shiny.” Merrill shook her head in confusion. “Anyway, I wanted to invite you and Colonel over for dinner when he returns.”

The invitation was unexpected, but Dorian was instantly flattered by it. “I cannot speak for the Colonel, but I would be delighted.”

“Great! If you said yes, then I’m sure the Colonel will agree. We’ll have a nice celebratory dinner,” she beamed.

Dorian had no idea what they would be celebrating, but he often didn’t understand Merrill. After chatting further with Merrill, he paid for his purchase and headed back towards the inn, dropping off his packages with the carriage. He then returned to the Golden Nug Inn to meet with Ellana.

He only caught a glimpse of the Vashoth she was speaking to, a large, grey woman with horns that rivaled the Colonel’s in size. But Dorian held his tongue as Lady Lavellan finished her business.

They dined at the restaurant attached to the inn, a pretty cafe that served butter rich Orlesian food. They both bemoaned how their own cultures made superior food, but agreed to dessert when the waiter came by to tempt them. Once Dorian and Ellana finished their midday meal, they returned to the carriage, where Dorian asked a small favor.

“If it’s not terribly out of your way, would you be so kind as to drop me off at Chargers Lodge?”

“Oh?” Ellana gave him a curious look. “What business do you have at the Colonel’s house while he is away? Choosing a new set of drapes? Figuring out what shade of pink the china should be?” Her voice was purely amused and without a hint of accusation.

“The suit I chose for him just arrived,” Dorian motioned to one of his parcels, “and the books I ordered for the library were sent to Chargers Lodge.”

“Ah, I should have known you were being lured in by books. You know that the Colonel’s house is hardly out of our way, I’ll be glad to drop you off.”

Chargers Lodge, as the Colonel called it, was a sweet looking house built in a rustic Orlesian countryside style and cheerfully situated behind a beautifully manicured front garden of shrubbery, rose bushes, and small trees. The inside of the house was just as charming as the outside. Each room was simply and elegantly decorated with softly patterned wallpapers, light wood trimming, and large windows that allowed plenty of light inside. It was not the largest or finest house in Lake Celestine, but Dorian thought it was perfectly suited for a retired army man like the Colonel.

Dorian held an open invitation to Chargers Lodge, free to call upon Bull, play the piano in the parlor, and ride the beautiful Tevinter mare in the stables whenever he pleased. Dorian did his best not to abuse the privilege and would normally never go while the Colonel was away, but with a crate of books waiting for him, Dorian could not help himself. Besides, he thought it would be a nice surprise for Bull to come home to find his library finally filled with books.

After Lady Lavellan dropped him off, Dorian barely made it to the front door before, Dalish, Bull’s flighty housekeeper, opened the door.

“Mr. Pavus,” she greeted in her usual friendly manner, moving aside to let Dorian in, “I thought you might come by.”

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Dalish. I have the Colonel’s new suit and I was told that the books arrived,” Dorian explained, giving her the parcel with Bull’s clothes. “I thought it best to organize them while the Colonel was out of the way.”

“Oh!” Dalish seemed surprised. “Oh, yes, the books, of course. Would you like to survey any of the other rooms? Make changes to the furnishings?”

Dorian blinked. “The furnishings? Did Colonel Ashkaari ask for me to change the furnishings?”

“Well, no, not specifically,” Dalish shook her head, “but the Chief said that we were to oblige you.”

A sharp laugh escaped from Dorian. “Oblige me? He should know better than to say things like that! No, Mrs. Dalish, today I shall confine my meddling to the library.”

“Very good, Mr. Pavus.” As she took Dorian’s coat and wrappings, Dalish could not help but comment, “That’s the Chief’s scarf.”

Dorian flushed a little, beginning to feel sheepish about taking the thing to begin with. “Well, yes, I mean to return it.”

“Keep it,” Dalish insisted, “I bet the Chief likes it better on you anyway. Now, go work on that library and I’ll bring you some tea.”

The library was unfortunately the low point of Chargers Lodge. The Colonel didn’t collect books, leaving the shelves woefully empty. To make matters worse, the library displayed a rather large and garish portrait of a male Tevinter soldier in Orlesian armor and wearing a white scarf fluttering in the wind with his sword held high in the midst of battle. The portrait held a prominent place upon the wall, hung over the mantle of the fireplace and flanked by intricately carved bookshelves. It was supposedly the likeness of, and a gift from, Captain Aclassi, Bull’s former second. 

But years of complaining about the room finally bore fruit and just a couple of months ago, the Colonel bestowed upon Dorian the task of filling the shelves of the library. Like with his suit, Bull provided the money, asked Dorian to select and order the books from Merrill, and only made a simple request of a few titles on dragons.

Now a large crate sat in the middle of the room, within it were great works of literature and folklore, poetry from all over Thedas, tomes of history and the arcane, and dozens of novels and monographs on dragons. Excitement swelled within Dorian, he saw great potential within that crate and the start of a great collection. Taking off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves, he waved his hand towards the hearth to start a fire, and then set upon the task of sorting the books and filling the waiting shelves.

The afternoon hours slipped by as Dorian happily worked, pausing to sip on the tea and nibble on the cookies that Dalish brought from the kitchen. He became absorbed in the work, his eyes hungrily devouring the titles that passed through his hands and on more than one occasion, Dorian began to read the first few pages. He barely sorted half of the crate’s contents, organizing them by subject matter and author, when Dalish walked into the library for a second time that afternoon.

“Will you be staying the night, Mr. Pavus?” Dalish asked expectantly. “Skinner said she’ll put together something nice for you for supper and I can tidy up the room for your use.”

He was a little surprised that Dalish thought to ask him to stay. It wasn’t unusual for the Colonel to insist that Dorian stay the night in the guestroom if it was late in the evening or if the weather was foul, but as Dorian looked out the window he saw that the weather was clear and there was a little daylight left.

“Thank you for the offer and the thought, Mrs. Dalish, but I still have enough light to make it back to Skyhold if I leave now. I’ll return later in the week to finish my task.”

“Oh,” Dalish actually looked disappointed. “Very well. I’ll tell Grim to bring around the carriage.”

Dorian stood up, his knees protesting from kneeling on the floor for too long. He wiped at the dust on his pants self-consciously. While he never objected to the staff actually doing their jobs, he was not their employer and did not want to intrude.

“That won’t be necessary, it’s a short walk and I wouldn’t want to trouble Mr. Grim.”

“It’s no trouble at all. I’ll go get Grim right now.”

Despite his protests, Dorian was grateful for the ride as the afternoon only became even colder with the diminishing sunlight. And Grim did not seem bothered to drive the carriage the short distance to Skyhold Manor, he even graced Dorian with a half-smile and a nod. 

Once they arrived, Dorian bid Grim farewell, earning a genial grunt in return, and entered Skyhold Manor in fine spirits. His trip into town was awfully strange, but getting to sort books put Dorian in a good mood and added a small spring to his step as he entered the house.

“Mr. Pavus,” Flissa was hovering near the door, her grin was small but enthusiastic. “Master Tethras is in the parlor with Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford. They asked for you to join them, should you be able to.”

Dorian was pleased to hear it. “Well, how could I refuse the engaging company of Master Tethras? Let me take my coat and wrappings up to my room and then I shall go directly.”

“Oh, I’ll take those for you, Mr. Pavus,” she took his hat and coat from his hands. “The coat goes in your wardrobe, correct?”

Flissa’s newfound civility and friendliness shocked Dorian. Had he been in Tevinter, Dorian would be convinced of duplicity and even in Orlais he knew to be cautious. But Flissa was Fereldan by birth and too straight forward for such scheming, nor would Commander Rutherford stand to have such manipulation in his home.

“It does. Thank you, Flissa.”

Relieved of his things, Dorian went straight to the parlor. It was a lovely room with green and silver wallpaper, dark oak furnishings, and a green and brown handwoven rug. The parlor was admittedly little green for Dorian’s tastes, but it suited his Dalish employer just fine.

Seated in one of the armchairs was Master Varric Tethras with a journal open on his knee and a pen in hand, idly writing as he always was. Across from him were Ellana and Cullen on the sofa, both of them were beaming happily.

“Sparkler! The man of the hour!” Varric greeted Dorian in his rather informal fashion.

“Master Tethras, always a pleasure.” Dorian gave him a shallow bow before taking a seat in an unoccupied chair. “To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”

“Just gathering a list of everyone who got engaged during the season for my annual Wintersend letter in the newspaper. I was hoping you could fill in some details.”

“Oh?” Dorian was curious. “And how can I help with that?”

“Well, for starters, have you and Tiny set a date yet?”

Dorian felt nearly lightheaded by the question as a sense of understanding began to overtake him. “Date?”

Commander Rutherford rose to his feet and was immediately clasping one of Dorian’s hands in his calloused ones, gently squeezing it with warm affection. 

“I am so happy for you, Dorian,” Cullen said with such great conviction and joy. “Matrimony is a gift given to us by the Maker, and Ellana and I are most pleased to know that you’ll soon enter it. You have certainly accepted a most worthy man into your heart and to share your life with. Allow me congratulate you, Dorian, with all of my heart, on your engagement to Colonel Ashkaari.”

“Engagement?!”


	3. Mr. Pavus Makes A Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian realizes too late that he should keep his mouth shut.

“I believe there is some misunderstanding.”

That was an understatement, but for once Dorian was not feeling overly dramatic. Shock nearly overtook him from the Commander’s congratulations and left him feeling rather faint. He remembered the amused curiosity he felt not too long ago at Mahanon’s seemingly innocent question about him and the Colonel. Now he felt much differently hearing about his supposed engagement to Bull from Varric Tethras and Commander Rutherford. 

Dorian was glad that he was seated or he might have fallen over from the sheer surprise. The lightheadedness he experienced earlier persisted and his legs felt wobbly even in his seat. At the very least, Dorian did not make a scene by fainting.

“Are you well, Dorian?” Cullen asked, still holding Dorian’s hand, but his good cheer turned to concern.

“Yes, quite.” Though Dorian wasn’t entirely sure about that. He struggled to remain calm and to suppress the near hysterical laugh bubbling up within him. “I thank you for your kind words, Commander Rutherford, but Master Tethras is mistaken, Colonel Ashkaari and I have no such understanding between us.”

“Oh,” the Commander flushed in embarrassment, his free hand hooking behind his neck. Cullen then let go of Dorian's hand and sheepishly took his place next to Ellana on the sofa.

“I hope that you are more cautious in repeating unconfirmed reports to others, Commander Rutherford,” Dorian chided lightly.

“Cullen meant no offense, Dorian,” Ellana said gently.

“My apologies to both of you for my rudeness, there is no offense at all, I assure you. I am merely perplexed,” Dorian hastily corrected, hoping that he sounded as sincere as he felt. “I know that whoever receives an offer from the Colonel would be a most fortunate creature, but I am afraid that I am not that person.”

Varric Tethras arched his eyebrow, his expression mildly amused as his pen twirled idly in his fingers. “Is that right, Sparkler?”

“Indeed, Master Tethras,” Dorian sniffed, “I’m afraid your information is incorrect this time.”

The dwarf leaned back in his seat, his smirk was insufferable. “And here I thought my informant was rather reliable.”

Dorian resisted the urge to demand to know who was spreading the rumor. In another time and place, Dorian was once securely in a lofty position and able to make those sorts of demands. But in his current diminished status, he keenly understood that Varric was his social better in this situation. 

Instead, Dorian simply replied, “I haven’t the slightest idea from whom or where you’d hear such a thing, but I would appreciate it if you did not spread rumors about myself or the Colonel.”

Varric raised his hands in defense. “Ok, ok, I meant nothing of it, Sparkler, I only hoped to pass on some good news to the Inquisitor and Curly here. But, correct me if I’m wrong, I am guessing that I have a similar situation with you as I did with Hawke.”

Dorian could hardly know of which situation Varric was speaking of, the dwarf had countless dealings with his friend Lady Marian Hawke. However, Dorian was familiar with the greatly exaggerated stories and rumors Varric spun about Hawke and the exasperation it caused her. He didn’t know Marian Hawke well, but he could suddenly sympathize with her and he admired her ability to resist the urge to throttle Master Tethras.

“I believe you have,” Dorian confirmed, though he honestly didn’t know what he was agreeing to.

“I understand,” Varric nodded with a lingering grin that unexplainably set Dorian’s teeth on edge. Closing his journal and tucking it into his coat, Varric rose to his feet and gave them all a deep bow. “Well, I won’t keep you good people any longer. Lady Lavellan, Commander Rutherford, Mr. Pavus, it’s been a pleasure.”

“Master Tethras, you’re more than welcome to stay for supper,” Ellana offered, standing to give her guest a proper farewell.

“That’s very kind, my lady, but I’ve got an appointment for Wicked Grace with Blackwall to keep. He seems to be in a sudden need of more coin, though as to why, your guess is as good as mine,” Varric speculated teasingly.

As soon as Master Tethras left, Lady Lavellan turned to Dorian, her expression mirrored her husband’s in worry. “I hope that he didn’t upset you too much, Dorian.”

“I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest if you were angry,” Commander Rutherford shook his head. “Master Tethras is a terrible gossip, though I am sure he meant no harm.”

“I am not upset,” Dorian insisted. “It takes a lot more than Master Tethras’s gossiping to get to me, but I do worry a little about what Colonel Ashkaari may think about all this when he returns,” he admitted.

He was sure the rumor would come as quite a shock to the Colonel when he came back home. While the rumor was not evil in nature, Dorian hoped that Bull did not think twice about the closeness of their friendship. Or worse, believe that Dorian started the tale in a bid for attention.

Lady Lavellan’s face softened in understanding. “Oh Dorian, you needn’t worry at all, I am sure that Colonel Ashkaari will not blame you in the slightest about this. In fact, the Colonel will most likely laugh when he hears about it.”

For some reason, the thought of Bull laughing at the mere suggestion of being engaged to Dorian didn’t make him feel at ease, but he managed a smile. “You are certainly right, Lady Lavellan. The Colonel will think of this all as a good joke.”

“Good, don’t let it worry you, Dorian. Now, come have some supper, it’ll make you feel better.”

“If it does not trouble you, I would rather take my meal in my room tonight, madam,” Dorian declined. “It’s been a long day, even without this last bit of excitement, and I am rather tired. I hope you understand.”

Ellana frowned and her sharp dark eyes were busy examining Dorian’s features. “You do look a little pale, Dorian. Are you sure you are well?”

“I am, I assure you,” he quickly replied

“Alright, but I do expect you at the table for breakfast,” Ellana told him. “Otherwise, I may fear that you’ve had a relapse from your cough during Harvestmere and I will have to ask the Colonel to return from Val Royeaux early to tend to you, he does act as a good nursemaid.”

Dorian let out a weak chuckle. “I am so ordered, my lady. I will see you both in the morning.”

He gave his employers a bow before heading up the stairs to his bedroom. It was a suitably sized room for a man of his occupation, with a narrow, but comfortable, bed, a small table and chair, vanity, bookshelf, and a large wardrobe. There were small touches that made it feel homey, such as a vase of dried flowers on the table from the Colonel, his books lining the shelf, and charcoal drawings that Mahanon was so inclined to make for him.

It was a private sanctuary for Dorian, a space that felt like his own even though the furnishings and trappings belonged to Lady Lavellan. Within those walls, Dorian could sort out his thoughts in peace, which after his encounter with Master Tethras, he desperately needed. With the door closed firmly behind of him, Dorian crossed the room to collapse face first into his bed.

Dorian couldn’t help but groan in frustration into his pillow. It would figure that the rumor of marriage would cause him such grief and vexation, though perhaps not to the extreme it caused him in Tevinter. However, Dorian thought he handled himself remarkably well as he didn’t lose his temper and didn’t give Master Tethras an inch. This would pass quickly enough as most unsubstantiated whisperings did, Dorian was assured, and perhaps the Colonel wouldn’t even hear word of it when he returned to the neighborhood.

Unmoving on the bed and lost in thought, Dorian didn’t stir until Flissa knocked on the door with his supper.

“I’m sorry that you aren’t feeling well, Mr. Pavus,” Flissa said as she brought a tray of soup and fresh bread. “It must be hard for you with Colonel Ashkaari away.”

Dorian was too exhausted to even correct her and only thanked her for his meal and her concern.

The house was quiet by the time Dorian ventured out of his room, most of the family and the servants had gone to bed for the evening. He made his way down the darkened hallways with a bundle of clothes under his arm to the bathhouse on the first floor. The bathhouse was a slice of luxury that Dorian most appreciated in Skyhold Manor, reminding him faintly of the marble bathes he had access to in Tevinter. The bathhouse Lady Lavellan kept was more modest, but it was outfitted with a marble floor, large porcelain tubs with fire runes under them, and water pumps to fill the tubs.

Lighting the lanterns and the coal heater in the room with a gesture, Dorian went through the motions of preparing a bath. He pumped the water into one of the deep tubs, adding a bundle of dried flowers to the water, along with some sweet smelling soap. He then warmed the water instantly with his magic, adjusting it to the perfect temperature for a long soak.

Dorian finally undressed and sank down into the tub, the heat of the water stinging his skin pleasantly and turning it a faint pink. Letting out a long and loud sigh, Dorian leaned back in the tub, stretched out his legs and let the tension in his muscles unwind. 

“Maker’s breath,” Dorian moaned aloud, “what a day.”

He couldn’t believe the turn of events. Dorian was no stranger to rumors, being a Tevinter mage in the south guaranteed that there would be many about him, but he was flabbergasted by the whispers about him and Bull. It put the odd behavior he encountered earlier in town into context and he could only hope that Varric would soon spread the news that there was no such agreement.

Dorian also hoped that he did not come across as offended in his denials as Ellana suggested. He was just miffed by the impropriety of the rumor, the assumption of the engagement without any confirmation from himself or the Colonel. But there was certainly no offense in being connected to the Colonel in such a way.

Slipping down further into the water, letting it lap at the nape of his neck, Dorian’s mind began to wander. Despite Dorian’s great misgivings about marriage, he knew that being married to the Colonel would not be a terrible thing. Far from it in fact. 

Dorian cared deeply about Bull and greatly enjoyed their friendship. While Bull’s manners were less than polished, he more than made up for it in his sincere and happy demeanor that most landed gentlemen lacked. The Colonel was not the most fashionable man either as his suits were often outrageous in color, but Dorian was not blind and could admit that Bull’s physique was pleasing to the eye. With such kindness in spirit and the benefit of a roguish, attractive figure, Dorian could imagine himself spending day after day in his company.

Being situated in Chargers Lodge would be no hardship either. The house was already rather charming and comfortable. But it still had room for improvement, allowing any good spouse with a vision to make his mark on the home. Too easily Dorian could picture himself running the household for the Colonel, arranging their meals, managing the staff, and hosting teas and salons for their friends. 

No, being the Colonel’s spouse would not be a hard life at all. That fictitious life was much easier than being a penniless tutor, scraping by and hoping that he could maintain a living with a decent family. 

“Enough of that nonsense,” Dorian chastised himself, rising out of his bath. “There’s no use in those kinds of thoughts.”

Stepping out of the tub, Dorian dried off with a soft towel and dressed in his night clothes and dressing gown. He retired back to his room, hoping that by the time he woke up in the morning that all hints of the outlandish rumor would have evaporated.

The next morning, after a less than restful sleep, Dorian joined the family for breakfast as he promised Lady Lavellan. Commander Rutherford, Lady Lavellan, and Mahanon were already seated at the table, just starting in on their morning meal of Dalish inspired fare and Orlesian black tea. Dorian felt in slightly better spirits than he did the night before and his stomach growled at the scent of freshly baked bread and the sight of the ever present wheel of Fereldan cheese that the Commander insisted he have access to.

“Apologies for being tardy to breakfast,” Dorian apologized as he took the seat opposite of his charge. “But I am here as promised, Lady Lavellan, you may stop composing an express to the Colonel.”

Ellana smiled behind her cup of tea. “Very good as I was going to stress the urgency to return to the Colonel. You missing two meals is cause for great distress.”

Dorian simply laughed and helped himself to a cup of tea, along with the bread and cheese that enticed him when he stepped into the room. 

“Dorian, when do you and the Colonel plan to have the wedding?” Ellana asked seemingly out of the blue. “I hope it will be in the summer when my clan returns, I should be able to find a suitable replacement tutor for Mahanon amongst them.”

Dorian stiffened at the question, near speechless as he did not know where it had come from. He was rather convinced that the whole business with the rumor was done with, at least within Skyhold Manor.

“I do enjoy a summer wedding,” Cullen put in his opinion most unwelcomely, “and it will give you time to send invitations to your friends back in your homeland. I am most curious to meet them.”

Dorian’s spine stiffened as he replied, “I thought I had clarified matters yesterday.”

“Oh Dorian, you may speak of your engagement here,” Ellana told him, “we won’t speak of your plans outside of the house or around the servants.”

“I must insist that I do not know what you are talking about, Lady Lavellan, as I thought I made it abundantly clear that the Colonel and I were not engaged,” Dorian protested, irrationally wondering if the whole conversation he had with his employers and Master Tethras was just a trick of the Fade.

Cullen looked surprised at Dorian’s protest. “I thought that you said that Master Tethras opened his mouth too soon about it.”

“What, may I ask, are you referring to, Commander?”

“That Master Tethras did the same thing to you as he did with Lady Hawke just a few years ago,” Ellana elaborated.

“What did Mr. Varric do to Lady Marian?” Mahanon asked, for which Dorian was grateful, because he felt as equally ignorant about the whole thing as the boy did.

“Master Tethras spread the news about Lady Hawke’s engagement to Fenris before she had the chance to make the announcement herself,” Ellana told her brother. “She was quite vexed about it as she had yet to tell her siblings about the agreement and her parents didn’t even know that she was courting an elf. Lady Hawke tried to deny that she and Fenris were engaged at all and refused to speak to Varric for a whole two days.”

“I believe it was only a day,” Cullen corrected.

“Why would Lady Marian need to hide being with Mr. Fenris?” Mahanon asked. “I like Mr. Fenris, he brings me candy when nobody's looking.”

“Lady Hawke’s parents hoped that she might marry a human noble and elevate the family further. She didn’t want the news getting out before she could ease her parents into the idea of her being with an elf,” Ellana told him. “She knew that marrying her elven bodyguard did little for her family’s standing.”

The boy frowned, chewing thoughtfully on his piece of bread before sharing his wisdom. “That’s silly, why would that matter? Mr. Dorian, don’t marry a human noble, they’re silly.”

Confused by the whole situation, Dorian barely caught his charge’s entreaty and faintly answered, “I assure you, Mahanon, it’s the furthest thing from my mind at the moment.” 

Dorian’s heart sank as he began to remember the incident over Lady Hawke’s engagement to Fenris. He had only heard a little of it, Dorian was still new to the neighborhood when Varric blabbed about Lady Marian Hawke making an offer to her brooding bodyguard and his acceptance of her hand. Neither Lady Hawke nor Fenris were amused by Master Tethras’s indiscretion. That was what Varric was referring to the previous day, believing that Dorian was indeed engaged to Bull, but vexed that Varric was telling people before Dorian was ready. 

And Dorian, not understanding what Varric was getting at, all but confirmed it to the dwarf.

“I honestly had no idea that was what Master Tethras was referring to! I only thought he was referencing the numerous rumors he spreads about Lady Hawke. Besides, what reason would I have to conceal such happy news?” Dorian tried to reason. “I have no family to break the news to and the match would be unusual but not scandalous, there could be no reason for secrecy.”

The look that Lady Lavellan gave him was so utterly sympathetic that Dorian could hardly know what warranted it until she said, “We know that Tevinter is not like the south and it could not have been easy for you in your homeland. While you are free to marry who you wish here, we understand if you did not want make even the most joyous news widespread until you were ready.”

“Besides, I can hardly imagine you’d want to be upstaged by Master Tethras making the announcement and not you,” Cullen added.

Dorian’s jaw dropped open and then clicked shut. “Ok, those are not terrible points,” he conceded, “but you must take me at my word that the Colonel and I are not engaged.”

The Commander gave him a placating smile. “Of course, Dorian.”

“You do not believe me.”

“I am not implying that you are a dishonest man,” Cullen explained, “I am only saying that I would not be surprised in the slightest to find out later that you are indeed to be married to the Colonel. I know you would never lie about something important, but with something so personal and revealed without your permission, I can understand the desire for privacy.”

“But why would you think that we are engaged to begin with?” Dorian asked. “We are close friends, yes, but it is not as if the Colonel and I were courting.”

“You did dance just about every dance at the First Day ball with the Colonel,” Ellana pointed out.

“You are well aware that I am often lacking in willing dance partners and the Colonel knows I will not complain when he steps on my toes.”

“Colonel Ashkaari did chase off that shady merchant, Ponchard de Lieux, after he made an offer to you. I would say that the Colonel does not suffer rivals gladly,” the Commander recalled.

Heat spread across Dorian’s face at the mention of Ponchard de Lieux, the Orlesian merchant Dorian pawned his family’s amulet to years ago in a moment of desperation. 

“You know as well as I do that the Colonel knew that Mr. de Lieux was trying to coerce my acceptance of him with my family heirloom and he wanted only to take advantage of my connections with Magister Alexius and his family,” Dorian carefully skirted the truth, not mentioning his own family. “Colonel Ashkaari was only doing what he would do for any good friend in duress by chasing that cretin off, he is like that.”

“And he returned your family’s amulet to you, as I recall.”

“I have no idea how he managed it, since Mr. de Lieux was so disagreeable in allowing me to buy it back, but the Colonel can be very persuasive.”

“He did purchase that Tevinter mare for his stables for you to ride,” Ellana mused aloud.

“It is my understanding that the mare belonged to Captain Aclassi, but the Captain could not keep her. The Colonel compensated his friend and merely allows me to use her when the Colonel fancies company for his rides.”

“He did let you name her and bought a very nice saddle for you to use.”

The heat in Dorian’s cheeks increased. “The Colonel is a generous friend.”

“He also bought that rather fine piano after he found out you played.”

“Colonel Ashkaari has excellent taste in music and enjoys northern songs, which are not so popular at many gatherings where I have access to a piano.”

Ellana gave him a teasing smile. “And you are all too happy to provide him with private concerts.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of the Commander’s mouth. “You do spend quite a bit of private time with the Colonel in general.”

“We’re friends, of course we spend time alone,” Dorian insisted. “Besides, what we speak about cannot be of great interest to others. We reminisce about the north and criticize southern customs.” 

It didn’t seem to matter what reasonable explanation Dorian had for his interactions with the Colonel, the veil of disbelief hung heavy over the table. Dorian buried his face into his hands, the mixture of humiliation and exasperation was too much to bear. 

Letting out a sigh, Dorian said, “So, no one here believes me and I have basically told Master Tethras that I am secretly engaged to Colonel Ashkaari.”

“But I believe you, Mr. Dorian! I know that you’re not going to marry Colonel Bull,” Mahanon spoke up passionately and made Dorian feel oddly relieved that someone believed him, even if it was a child. “Colonel Bull has not given you a halla calf!”

“Mahanon is correct,” Dorian peeled his hands away from his face with a weak laugh. “I have not been presented with a halla calf.”


	4. Mr. Pavus Attends A Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian is quite convinced that the rumor is forgotten.

As a man who needed to make his way in the world, it wasn’t often that Dorian got the opportunity to attend salons held by the respectable society in Lake Celestine. However, he could always count on Lady Josephine Montilyet to extend to him an invitation to her gatherings. As a highly educated woman, she seemed entertained by his tales of Tevinter and enjoyed his ability to play lively Antivan tunes on her piano. He even flattered himself to think that they were something akin to friends.

There was cold flurry of light snow the afternoon of Lady Montilyet’s salon. The inclement weather provided a fresh layer of white over the withered hedge bushes of the front gardens and the great house Monfort Park, making everything look clean and pristine against the grey of the clouds. Monfort Park was a lovely establishment even without the blanket of snow, a grand Orlesian estate that Lady Montilyet leased as she oversaw her family’s interests in Lake Celestine. 

Arriving with Lady Lavellan, Dorian felt a little uneasy heading into Lady Montilyet’s home. Dorian had to admit that he nearly stayed at Skyhold Manor after he received the invitation from Lady Montilyet. In the last few days, he endured Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford’s sly looks and gentle teasing about Bull as best he could, but he feared he could not so cheerfully withstand such teasing from others. At the same time, Dorian was dying to know how far the rumor had spread and what people were saying of it.

Dorian could hardly stand to be in the dark about such gossip about himself.

Entering the heavily Antivan decorated parlor, Dorian was pleasantly surprised that his appearance garnered no more attention than normal. There was once a time when people would turn their heads as Dorian entered a room, trying to anticipate what he might do or say, but he was hardly noteworthy to the society of Lake Celestine. He appeared to be as unremarkable as usual, and was gladdened for it.

“You look rather pleased with yourself, Dorian,” Ellana told him.

“Not more than usual, madam, though I am ready to be amongst civilized company.”

“Do Cullen and I not count as civilized company?”

“A Dalish elf and a Fereldan? Not at all! You’re much better than civilized company, you and the Commander are actually interesting.”

Ellana let out an amused chuckle. “At least your wit is with you. Perhaps you can use it to make new friends as I must speak with Lady Pentaghast.”

“Do not let me hold you up, Lady Lavellan, I should hate for you to receive Lady Cassandra’s ire on my behalf.”

After Ellana disappeared into the crowd, a glass of red Antivan wine was handed to Dorian by a servant and he found his way to the fireplace to soak up its warmth as he observed the room. The parlor was filled with Lady Montilyet’s usual invitees, the most notables of Lake Celestine, several officers who were quartered with their troops in town for the winter, and other people who fascinated Lady Montilyet. Dorian noticed the distinct lack of Madame de Fer and her condescension, but more immediately on his mind was the Colonel’s absence.

Bull was always quick to entertain Dorian whenever they were at these kinds of gatherings and he remained a steadfast companion to Dorian. Once he even risked snubbing his former patroness, Madame Vivienne de Fer, by refusing to leave Dorian’s side. Though Dorian did not dare mention it then, he longed for the Colonel’s company, feeling it keenly as people stopped to make small talk with him and then moved on.

In fact, more people than usual went out of their way to say hello to him. Many of the officers were especially kind, even the gruff Captain Thom “Blackwall” Rainier favored Dorian with brief greeting. Lady Hawke, not an intimate acquaintance of Dorian’s, asked after his health and wellbeing. And most shocking of all, Ser Fenris, no fan of mages or vints, obliged Dorian with a nod of acknowledgement. 

Dorian could take comfort that no one uttered a word about the supposed engagement. No one approached Dorian to ask about the Colonel. And no one even spoke the word marriage in his presence. So heartened by the lack of discussion, that Dorian was nearly convinced that Master Tethras was able to hold his tongue or managed to retract the rumor.

Or, as his mind whispered to him, this crowd would know better. They knew that a man of the Colonel’s station would not make such an offer to a Tevinter mage, a tutor, a man without title, family, or wealth.

Dorian took a deep drink from his glass, hardly tasting the refined spirits over his tongue. 

Lady Montilyet made her way to Dorian, her smile genuinely pleased as she greeted him, “Mr. Pavus, I’m so glad you could make it to my gathering.”

“You know that I would never decline an invitation from you if I could help it, Lady Montilyet.” Dorian raised his glass and smiled as Lady Montilyet’s glass clinked against his own.

“Indeed, I do, but it seems too long since I last saw you.” 

“We dined together at the supper at Master Tethras’s ball with the officers,” Dorian reminded her. “First Day is not that far behind us, but with the amount of wine that was flowing, I am not surprised if it seems a very long time ago.”

“That is very true, Mr. Pavus,” she agreed. “I suppose it has not been that long, but you must tell me all that you have been up to.”

He was glad to catch up with the Antivan lady, but he could sense that he did not have her undivided attention. Emboldened by Lady Montilyet’s secretive looks over at Captain Rainier, Dorian seized an opportunity to lightly tease her.

“Lady Montilyet, will you agree with me that Captain Rainier looks almost dashing this afternoon?” Dorian asked casually, following Lady Montilyet’s gaze across the room to Captain Thom Rainier. The lady spent the better part of the afternoon staring at him in her own home, but not once moving to speak to him.

She startled at his observation and pink colored her dark cheeks. “Oh! I, uh, yes, I would agree, Mr. Pavus. Captain Rainier does look quite well, but that in itself is not surprising as he usually does.”

“I am one to protest that assertion,” Dorian countered, “but he seems to have taken particular care about his appearance today. Perhaps his current company has influenced his decisions in attire today?”

“I hadn’t noticed at all,” Lady Montilyet’s gaze dropped down to her glass of wine.

“I do hope he wears his dress uniform to Commander Rutherford’s Wintersend supper at Skyhold,” Dorian continued, enjoying the way Lady Montilyet’s blush deepened, “I do enjoy a man in uniform, don’t you?”

A sudden and mischievous grin spread on Lady Montilyet’s lips and all traces of her earlier embarrassment disappeared. Dorian instantly cursed his mistake, knowing that he exposed himself to inquiry about the Colonel.

“A man in uniform? Is that so, Mr. Pavus?”

Blushing himself, Dorian hastily explained, “I cannot deny the merits of a sharp uniform on an otherwise plain man. Your Captain benefits most generously from an Orlesian tailor.”

Lady Montilyet ignored Dorian’s insinuation and pressed on with good humor, “I suppose I should defer to your good judgement, Mr. Pavus, you do have an excellent sense in fashion. Do you not order Colonel Ashkaari’s clothing from an Orlesian tailor?”

“Madame de Fer provided a useful recommendation and I admit to persuading the Colonel to heed her word for once,” Dorian clarified before taking a long drink of his wine.

She laughed softly and told him, “I stopped at the post office a couple days back and Miss Harding told me of a particular package you were picking up for the Colonel. A new suit from the city, I believe, you were very pleased to receive it.”

Dorian suppressed a groan of frustration. “There can be nothing particular about picking up a package for friend.”

“Truly? I have hardly known bachelors unable to choose their own clothing,” Lady Montilyet countered with a knowing glint in her eyes.

“Oh Josie,” Sister Leliana Nightingale stepped to her friend’s side, sighing under her breath as she had her share in the conversation. “There was nothing special about that package.”

A small inkling of relief entered Dorian. If anyone could champion the truth of the whole business of the rumor, it was Sister Nightingale, a Chantry woman who seemed to know the comings and goings of Lake Celestine.

“It is my understanding that Colonel Ashkaari is now in Val Royeaux choosing his wedding clothes at the behest of Madame Vivienne,” Sister Leliana informed both of them and sinking any hope Dorian held onto. “I heard that she is even on her way to the city to personally assist him.”

“Oh!” Josephine looked happily surprised. “That is why she could not attend today, the Duke did send his wife’s regrets.”

“I am of the understanding that the Colonel is in the city to visit with Captain Aclassi and his soldiers,” Dorian insisted. “I can hardly imagine Madame de Fer going all the way to Val Royeaux to help the Colonel choose his wedding clothes for his rumored nuptial to a mere Tevinter tutor.”

“I have heard that Madame Vivienne is ordering Colonel Ashkaari a sapphire encrusted eyepatch for the occasion,” Sister Leliana informed him with a rather smug grin.

Exasperation filled Dorian for all the wrong reasons. “Maker’s breath! Madame Vivienne knows no restraint! Sapphires on the Colonel? Whatever is she thinking? She must know that metals are a superior option for the Colonel, his silverite eyepatch works well for any formal occasion. She really must consult me for adding anything to Colonel Ashkaari’s wardrobe, Maker only knows what havoc she might bring.”

The words had hardly left Dorian’s mouth when he realized that he had taken Sister Nightingale’s bait. Instead of expressing his ignorance as he should have, he instead took offense to Madame de Fer’s extravagant sense of fashion, acting as though he was outraged at the thought of the Colonel showing up at their imagined wedding with a gem encrusted eyepatch. It was too much to resist though as Dorian felt very particular about the Colonel’s wardrobe.

Sister Leliana looked quite pleased with herself, but before Sister Leliana could press Dorian any further the group was mercifully interrupted by one of the officers.

“Mr. Pavus,” Lieutenant Donnic Hendry sheepishly approached him, “Major Vallen has told me that you are the best musician in Lake Celestine, but I have not had the privilege of hearing you play since I have joined my regiment in town. I was wondering if you might favor us with a song.”

Dorian caught sight of red hair on the other side of the room and suppressed his smile. “Major Aveline Vallen is quite liberal with her praise, is she not?”

“No! Not at all! The Major is quite ... honest,” Lieutenant Hendry flushed under his collar.

“With such a compliment, Mr. Pavus, I hope that you will oblige Lieutenant Hendry, and I do hope some dancing might liven up my little party,” Lady Montilyet entreated, thankfully diverted from the topic of the Colonel. 

It was not an unusual request and Dorian could see Lady Montilyet’s eyes dart towards Captain Rainier. Giving the ladies and gentleman a shallow bow, Dorian consented, “For you, Lady Montilyet, I shall play all through the night. Lieutenant Hendry, you shall have your wish and you can judge for yourself if Major Vallen is exaggerating or not, and perhaps if we are lucky, Sister Nightingale will accompany me with a song.”

Sister Leliana gave a short snort of laughter. “I have not had nearly enough wine for that. No, we will do very well with one musician on display.”

Before long Dorian was seated at the piano and from the corner of his eye, Dorian could see Josephine cross the room, curtsy to Captain Rainier, and the soldier, after a moment of hesitation, offered his hand. Others caught sight of Dorian at the piano and quickly began to pair off in the empty space of the parlor as Dorian looked through Lady Montilyet’s sheet music. He chose a jolly and common Free Marcher dance, knowing that Captain Rainier would certainly be familiar with it.

Normally when Dorian would play the Colonel would dutifully sit at his side and take it upon himself to turn the pages of the sheet music for Dorian. He would remain there, politely turning down offers to dance and protest that if he left that no one would turn the pages for Dorian and thus no music could be played.

This time Lady Cassandra Pentaghast replaced the Colonel, though she did not sit half as close to Dorian as the Colonel often did. It was good of her to offer her services, even if Dorian suspected that she was using it as an excuse not to dance.

During a break between songs, Lady Cassandra cleared her throat and scooted her chair a little closer to the piano bench. “Mr. Pavus,” she began quietly, “I respect your sense of discretion, but when you are ready to announce your engagement, I would be most interested to hear of Colonel Ashkaari’s proposal. I have always suspected that he has a secret romantic side to him, at least when it comes to you.”

It took everything within Dorian not to hit his head against Lady Montilyet’s fine piano. “And what if, Lady Cassandra, I was to say that I am not engaged to the Colonel and that you should take your own sound advice and not listen to all of Master Tethras’s tales?”

Instead of being offended, Lady Cassandra graced Dorian with a rare smile. “I respect your discretion,” she repeated. At the very least, she did not bring up the supposed engagement again.

As the afternoon wore on, Lady Montilyet invited her guests to stay for a light supper, but Dorian was thankful that Ellana caught his pleading look and she chose to decline the invitation.

“You look rather pensive, Dorian,” Ellana observed during the carriage ride back to Skyhold Manor. “Did civilized company not agree with you?”

“Indeed not, Lady Lavellan, though it rarely does. I am wondering though, whoever spread this story about my engagement, if they had malicious intentions.”

“Oh? And why would you think that?”

“I am merely observing that the rumor has the opposite effect of malice. Rather, the society in Lake Celestine as of late has been significantly friendlier to me. I believe the whole regiment greeted me this afternoon and Ser Fenris even managed not to spit on me.”

“There can be no malice behind whoever broke the news!” Ellana protested. “It is idle gossip, as always, but of course people are pleased. To see the Colonel finally settled is a happy occasion and everyone wants to pay their respects to you. I also believe that the honor of the Colonel choosing you has overcome the general prejudice in the neighborhood about your homeland and has universally convinced everyone that you are a good man.”

“I might remind you that I am not engaged to the Colonel,” Dorian reminded his employer, though she seemed to ignore him on that point. “Should I be insulted that no one liked me before my marital status supposedly changed?”

“Plenty of people like you,” Ellana rolled her eyes at him. “But the prospect of marriage has softened the countenance of those who were skeptical of you as they all know Colonel Ashkaari to be a good judge of character. And now that they are willing to be civil, they will understand the goodness of your heart.”

“Well, I will not turn down the compliment of you declaring that I have a good heart,” Dorian strived to sound flippant, but he was genuinely touched by Ellana’s words. “However, I cannot agree with your earlier assessment. There must be some mischief behind this rumor, I am quite convinced of it.”

“You can take the man out of Tevinter, but not Tevinter out of the man,” Lady Lavellan noted playfully.

“Truer words have never been spoken, madam.”

Lady Lavellan dropped the topic and they gossiped about others from the party the rest of the way back to Skyhold Manor. The ride wasn’t overly long, but it did take them past the road to Chargers Lodge, reminding Dorian of his task of unpacking and sorting the Colonel’s new library and how he abandoned it. 

Shame filled Dorian, Dalish was probably waiting for him to return and finish the job. Or she heard of the tale and was outraged at Dorian’s presumption. Even if the Colonel forgave the rumor and was not insulted by it, his staff may feel very differently. It grieved Dorian to think that Bull’s beloved staff might turn against Dorian, adding a distinct chill to his normally warm visits to Chargers Lodge.

Thankfully after passing Chargers Lodge, Skyhold Manor was only a couple minutes away, not allowing Dorian to dwell too much. He might have continued moping in his sitting room, but the moment Dorian stepped through the front door, Flissa was in front of him and holding out a letter to him with a smile on her face. 

“Mr. Pavus, an express came for you while you were away. It’s from Val Royeaux, sir.”

Dorian’s heart skipped a beat as he took the letter, wondering what could be within the envelope. Could it be that news of the rumor reached the Colonel at Val Royeaux? Was Bull sitting at a tavern with Captain Aclassi, laughing at his supposed engagement? The wine sitting in Dorian’s stomach churned most unpleasantly.

“Thank you, Flissa. Do tell Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford that I have retired to my room if they ask for me.”

Without waiting for a response, Dorian rushed up the stairs to his room and locked the door behind of him for good measure. Stripping off his layers of coats and wrappings, and letting them fall carelessly to the floor, Dorian sat down on his bed with the letter in hand. But as he turned over the envelope and spotted the seal of intertwining serpents pressed into red wax, he knew immediately that it was not from the Colonel.

Dorian had no idea why his dear friend, Felix Alexius, would be sending him an express.

Felix was plagued by periods of poor health, which worried Dorian greatly when he lived with the Alexius family. But in recent years Felix’s health was stable enough for his parents to permit him to attend the University of Orlais, much to Dorian’s delight, putting Felix within a reasonable distance from Lake Celestine. Fear rose up within Dorian at the thought of his most intimate friend having a relapse.

Deciding not to prolong his fear and curiosity, Dorian tore open the seal and took out the letter written in a most familiar hand.

_My Dear Dorian,_

_Please do not be alarmed by this letter delivered to you by express. My family and I are quite well, but I shall not keep you in suspense with such pleasantries. I merely write to you in urgency to confirm a most peculiar report that has ended up at the door of my apartments here at the University of Orlais._

_I have just received a letter from your particular friends, Mrs. Sera Jenny and Mrs. Dagna Jenny, inviting me to a surprise engagement party for you and Colonel Ashkaari! You can indeed imagine my shock to receive such an invitation without ever receiving a hint from you about the happy union. I am well aware that I have spoiled this most thoughtful surprise, for which I apologize for, but since I have heard no word from you about said engagement, I had to write._

_Is it true that you have accepted an offer from Colonel Ashkaari? I know your friend, Mrs. Sera Jenny, likes a good joke, but I am inclined to think her invitation is sincere. I flatter myself in believing that I understand your heart, Dorian, and I know that if the Colonel has indeed made you an offer (and why wouldn’t he, my dear friend) that you have accepted him._

_Please confirm at your earliest convenience, my friend. If your reply comes quickly enough I can send a letter to my parents and ask for them to come to the engagement party, your friends said that they would be most welcomed. My parents long to see you, Dorian, and you can hardly know what happiness it will bring them to see you settled with a most respectable man!_

_I eagerly await your word._

_Your Devoted Friend,  
Felix of House Alexius_

The letter slipped through Dorian’s fingers as he ungracefully slumped over in his bed with his face buried into a pillow. And Dorian certainly did not scream into said pillow, even in private such a display would have been most ungentlemanly like.


	5. Mr. Pavus Understands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian meets with friends and reads a book.

A pleasant little stone cottage sat on the edge of town, its architecture was nothing to the grand estates in the country, but its charm was second to none. Its grey stones were almost blue in the morning light and window boxes were filled with hearty winter plants. A wreath of arbor blessing hung on the door and the white billow of smoke coming up from the chimney completed the picture of domestic bliss. Dorian had passed many enjoyable afternoons and evenings at that little cottage, but this time his visit was of a less than happy nature.

His knuckles rapped urgently against the heavy oak door, managing to rattle it under the force. It wasn’t long before his good friend, Sera Jenny, answered the door. Sera was not considered to be a part of respectable society at Lake Celestine, but her wife was an esteemed and most talented blacksmith, and a highly respectable dwarf. Their marriage elevated Sera to a person to be tolerated as many people wanted to make Dagna’s acquaintance. But Dorian delighted in both of them equally and they were almost as dear to him as the Colonel was.

The door cracked open, revealing a sleep rumpled Sera with her short blond hair was askew and her red overshirt crumpled. Her tired eyes lit up at the sight of Dorian, but her face quickly fell as she studied his expression.

“You know,” was all Sera said.

“I do,” he confirmed.

Sera stepped aside, allowing Dorian to cross the threshold and into the cozy cottage. The house was a comfortable mess of an overstuffed sofa and armchairs with hand knitted blankets draped over them, old books and notes, and a whole array of shiny trinkets on every shelf and tabletop. Inside, Sera’s wife, Dagna, was just shuffling into the sitting room with a tray of scones, jam, and a silver teapot, placing it on the table and on top of a jumble of handwritten notes.

“Good morning, Dorian!” Dagna received him cheerfully, looking warm in a thick sweater and comfortable trousers. “Would you like some breakfast? I made scones and cocoa.”

“Good morning, Dagna. I apologize for calling so early,” Dorian apologized to Dagna, “but I would love a cup of cocoa.”

“He knows, Widdle,” Sera said as she closed up the door and threw herself onto her armchair. “Should’ve never told his vint friend.”

“Aw!” Dagna frowned as she cleared a spot on the sofa for Dorian to sit and poured him a cup of rich cocoa from the teapot. “I was really hoping for it to be a surprise.”

“Is it you, Sera?” Dorian accused suddenly. “Are you the one spreading this tale about the Colonel and I?”

Sera snorted, leaning forward as she grabbed a scone off of the tray and took a large bite. “Varric said you’d be squirrely about this.”

“Squirrely!?” Dorian nearly shrieked the word, his face flushing angrily. “There is an unsubstantiated rumor going around about the Colonel and I, and I am being accused of being squirrely? Though I honestly do not know what you mean by it. Anyway, Colonel Ashkaari and I are not engaged and I would greatly appreciate it if you did not spread such a story to my friends. Maker only knows what grief Felix will give me for this whole affair, let alone what the Colonel will say of all this! He will laugh, surely, but it is certainly a humiliation I can live without!”

Sera and Dagna stared at him with wide eyes.

Dorian paused, taking in their shocked expressions as he drew in a deep breath and humbled himself. “That is not to say that I am ungrateful about your efforts,” he admitted. “If there was indeed no mischief behind of it, the thought of throwing a party for me is very sweet and you two have indeed proven yourselves to be amongst my dearest of friends.”

Dorian could remember a time when the plans for an engagement party filled him with a terrible sense of dread and of his parents’ cold dismissal of his feelings on the topic. But he was admittedly filled with some sort of comfort knowing that his friends were planning a party on his behalf out of their own good will and to celebrate a union that they believed Dorian agreed to most willingly. It was a lovely gesture and more than Dorian could ask for from his friends.

“I told you he’d get like this,” Sera said to Dagna, waving her hand in the air in a flighty motion. “Probably pissed that he didn’t get to plan the party.”

“Maybe now that Dorian knows we can ask him to help. I was thinking of serving cocoa and desserts, Merrill said she’d bring the flowers, and Lady Josephine said she can host! What do you think about that, Dorian?”

Frustration and confusion passed over Dorian in equal waves. “The Colonel and I are not engaged!”

“Fancypants nobles and their secret engagements,” Sera rolled her eyes. “Never telling it straight when they ought to.”

“I am not a noble,” Dorian corrected, even if he didn’t know if that was technically true. “No, wait, that isn’t the point. Andraste help me, why doesn’t anyone believe me?” Dorian bemoaned the current state of his life. “How did this even start? Who even told you about this blighted tale?”

“Everyone in town is talking about it,” Dagna helpfully supplied. “We know you wanted to keep it quiet, Master Tethras told us that much, but Dorian, it really is the best news to start the year. Oh, I’m going to make the Colonel the shiniest sword to wear for the wedding!”

“Dagna, we are not engaged,” Dorian repeated, trying to keep his voice even and calm. “I know that you must have heard countless rumors about this, but they are all baseless. I cannot have you confirming this story by planning parties at Monfort Park on my behalf.”

“Then,” Dagna started thoughtfully, “would you like to have the party at Skyhold Manor instead?”

“Maker’s breath,” Dorian sighed loudly, his face dropping into his hands, “did you not hear me? We are not engaged!”

Sera’s brow furrowed. “Are you embarrassed by Bull?”

Jerking his hands away from his face, Dorian could not stop his outrage. “Of course not! You know that I think the world of the Colonel and I could never be embarrassed by him! No, that is just not true. We just simply are not in any sort of arrangement for marriage.”

“And why not?”

“It is very simple, my friend,” he explained wearily. “The Colonel has not made me an offer and I do not expect to ever receive one from him.”

Sera frowned, her tongue darting out to lick off the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. “I bet if you asked him, he’d say yes in an instant.”

“I would never insult the Colonel with the impropriety of proposing. You know as well as I do that I haven’t a thing to offer him, I might as well just ask him to let me live at Chargers Lodge and to provide me with food and pocket money.”

“For a guy who insists he’s not a noble, you sure do worry about status a lot,” Sera gave him a bored look.

Dorian stiffened in his seat. “I have lived with such families most of my life, I cannot help but be conscious of my status and that of the Colonel’s. So, my friend, does this mean you believe me?” Dorian dared to hope that someone other than Mahanon would finally believe him. “That you take my word that I am not engaged to Colonel Ashkaari?”

“You know what I think? I think you’re too hung up on things that Bull doesn’t give a damn about and it’s gotten your smalls into a twist. Whatever you’re thinking that you’re protecting or whoever’s delicate sensibilities you’re trying to spare, I’m telling you to stop it right now. Bull just doesn’t care about any of it except for you,” Sera told him, jabbing her finger at him. “Now, did you want a chocolate or vanilla cake for the party?”

Dorian slumped against the sofa. “You are quite determined, are you not? You will not listen to reason and you will plan a party for a pair who are not to be married.”

“So … chocolate?”

Dorian visited with his friends long enough to finish his cocoa and eat a scone. However, in that span of time, with his will so worn away by his friends’ stubbornness, he nearly half planned his own surprise engagement party. 

The walk home seemed unbearably long and cold that Dorian began to wish that he took up Ellana’s offer to take the carriage. He had politely declined that morning, wanting the extra time for his temper cool off before he made it to Sera and Dagna’s cottage after spending the entire night seething about the invitation to Felix. Now though, the extra time with his thoughts left him even more perplexed that even his most intimate friends did not take his word. He wondered if even Felix would believe him, which he desperately hoped that Felix would before he sent for Magister and Lady Alexius to come to Lake Celestine.

He was so lost in thought, that Dorian did not notice a carriage coming his way on the road.

“Mr. Pavus!” Dalish called to Dorian from the window of the carriage, stepping out to properly greet him. At the driver’s seat, Grim nodded cordially to Dorian.

“Good morning, Mr. Pavus,” Dalish beamed, “I’m surprised to see you heading out of town so early in the day.”

“Mrs. Dalish, Mr. Grim, it is good to see you both,” he tipped his hat. “I was just having breakfast with the Mrs. Jennys.”

“Such a lovely couple,” she said approvingly. 

“I trust all is well with you, Mr. Grim, and at Chargers Lodge?”

“Indeed, but we’ve missed you at Chargers Lodge, sir. I thought you might come by soon to finishing arranging the library.”

Dorian felt a flash of mortification for being called out on neglecting his task. “I am truly sorry to have left the job half done and leave the library in such a terrible mess, but I did not want to make myself a burden.”

“A burden?” Dalish looked bewildered. “What are you talking about, sir?”

Dorian hesitated before answering. “Surly you have heard the rumors around town. I did not want to stir them up by showing up at Chargers Lodge uninvited and while the Colonel is away. I know that rumors about the master of a household can trickle down to the rest of the staff and cause more vexation than necessary.”

A gentle smile reassured Dorian as Dalish kindly told him, “Mr. Pavus, we do not care about the whispers in town and we know better than to believe all the chatter that goes around. Whatever is between you and the Chief is your own business.”

“So, what is being said does not bother you or the rest of the staff?”

“Not in the slightest,” Dalish said with all the confidence in the world while Grim grunted in agreement. “Now, please do come back to Chargers Lodge when you are free, all those books are waiting for you. I also wished to speak with you about redecorating some of the rooms.”

A weak smile tugged on Dorian’s lips as relief flooded him. “I do enjoy being of service to you and the household. Thank you, Mrs. Dalish, I will come when I am able to.”

“I will count on it, Mr. Pavus. Now, I must insist that we take you back to Skyhold Manor, which is where you are heading, correct?”

“That is very kind, but you and Mr. Grim needn’t bother. You are clearly heading to town and Skyhold is quite out of the way.”

“It is no bother,” Dalish said. “I could not face the Chief knowing that I allowed you to walk alone in this cold.”

Dorian finally accepted and there was a little cheer in his heart to know that Dalish and the rest of the staff at Chargers Lodge did not think of him any differently. They certainly knew that the rumor could not be true, the staff at Chargers Lodge was unusually close to their employer, and they understood the Colonel better than most. That made Dorian feel better as he made small talk with Dalish on the ride back to Skyhold Manor.

He was grateful for the ride to Skyhold and profusely thanked Dalish and Grim before heading inside. The manor was quiet and Dorian took advantage to retreat up to his room for some privacy. With letters piling up and the express from Felix, Dorian decided to spend the rest of the day catching up on his correspondence.

Sitting at his little table, Dorian took up his pen and tried to write a response to Felix’s letter. Though he could hardly think of what to write, the pleasure that Felix took at the thought of Dorian being settled was obvious and Dorian always hated disappointing his friend.

The tip of his pen was pressed into the paper, but no words came forward. It was a simple letter, Dorian tried to tell himself, all he was doing was refuting the rumor that he was to be married. All he needed to do was to write down what he was telling others all week, but his pen would not move.

Taking a deep breath, Dorian decided to compose a different letter.

_Dear Colonel Ashkaari,_

_I hope your visit thus far at Val Royeaux has been a delightful one, I am sure you are greatly enjoying the company of your dear friend, Captain Aclassi. All is well at Lake Celestine, but a most peculiar rumor has made its way around our social circle._

_Do not be alarmed, but the rumor, a rather harmless one, concerns the two of us. Perhaps it has already reached you in the city, but our friends and acquaintances are persuaded that we are engaged! I have of course denied it, but to no avail. For reasons that I will elaborate on later, which involve Master Tethras, no one is inclined to believe me! I can imagine your laughter as you read this—_

The pen in Dorian’s hand dropped and his other hand fell upon the piece of paper. Soon the letter was crumpling under his fingers and in his fist the sheet turned to ash. The flash of magic nearly startled Dorian, the action was impulsive he had hardly knew he did it until the grey ash was streaked upon his palm.

He washed off the ash on his hand at the basin on his vanity and giving up on writing to anyone, Dorian dramatically threw himself on his bed. Laying on top of the covers and staring up at the ceiling, Dorian could not help still being in awe over the whole story that he and Bull were engaged. The conviction that everyone else held over the supposed engagement left Dorian in utter confusion. He knew that he and the Colonel were close and perhaps behaved inappropriately according to Orlesian social conventions, but the surety everyone possessed was beyond Dorian.

Dorian was equally sure that Tal-Vashoth and Qunari did not marry. 

The only thing that Dorian could think of that might be the origin of the tale was if someone had spotted them at the First Day Ball and was given the wrong impression when Dorian and Bull abandoned the dancefloor and stepped outside together. Towards the end of the ball, Colonel Ashkaari lured Dorian out to an unoccupied balcony overlooking the gardens and draped his cloak over Dorian’s shoulders to keep him warm. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Bull presented Dorian with a flat jewelry case and declared it an early Wintersend present.

_“Maker, this quite the surprise and I haven’t a thing for you, Bull.”_

_“It will be a gift enough for me if you accept this.”_

Dorian could confess that the piece of jewelry Bull presented him was rather intimate, beyond what friends normally gave each other, but the Colonel was overly generous like that. Still, Dorian could not help but feel flattery as he thought of the gift. The dragon tooth necklace was by far the most beautiful thing Dorian had ever received. The flawless ivory tooth half was set in polished silverite and on a sturdy white gold chain, but it wasn’t half as brilliant as the smile on the Colonel’s face when Dorian allowed him to fasten the necklace around his neck.

The necklace was far too precious to wear on an everyday basis and it sat in its case, secured in Dorian’s trunk. Bull did fret that Dorian didn’t like it, but Dorian soothed those fears by telling him that he was waiting for the right occasion to wear the gift. The Colonel instantly understood.

Someone seeing that moment at the ball without the proper context might have taken it the wrong way, though Dorian could not see why. It was not as if Bull had presented him with a ring.

A sudden shock of remembrance shot through Dorian and he was instantly scrambling on his feet. He briskly crossed the room to his bookshelf and pulled out a book of Qunari tales translated into Common. It was a gift from the Colonel that was presented to him before the All Souls Day Ball at Monfort Park. 

Dorian had started skimming the chapter titles, but soon after he received the book he fell ill with the terrible cough that went around town. It was no fleeting illness and Dorian was in a bad way for over two weeks and then spent weeks afterwards recovering with the Colonel hovering fretfully at his bedside. In the meantime, the book was left forgotten on his bookshelf.

Now it sat in his hands with his heart thudding in his chest and leaving Dorian with an odd feeling that the answers to his recent questions laid within.

The leather bound book was well worn and certainly a secondhand find with the previous owner’s name printed neatly in Qunlat inside of the cover, but that did not surprise Dorian. He doubted that old Qunari tales were a popular topic for reading in the south. The only thing new about the book was a pristine white silk ribbon nestled between the pages, beckoning Dorian to open the book to that page.

He did so and immediately read the chapter title that the Colonel apparently wanted Dorian to see.

_The Necklace of the Kadan_

Dorian drew in a sharp gasping breath.

“Maker, I’m an _idiot_.”


	6. Mr. Pavus Reflects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything begins to sink in for Dorian.

Sleep came intermittently to Dorian that night. At times he woke up suddenly, the darkness and shadows of the room startling him, and his hand would immediately reach for the dragon tooth necklace that was laid out next to him. The cool touch of the metal and ivory reassured Dorian that he had not dreamed the whole thing. In his sleepless hours, he tangled the white gold chain around his fingers and dug into his skin as he periodically flexed his hands. And every once in a while, his fingertips traced over an engraving in the silverite setting that he missed before that simply said _Kadan._

The sunlight finally began to fill the room and Dorian stirred out of bed with his body protesting from inadequate sleep. Dorian drew his chair to the window overlooking the path to Chargers Lodge from Skyhold and sat down, staring out the window as if trying to summon the Colonel to come down the snow-covered pathway. He didn’t know how long he sat there, wrapped warmly in his dressing gown with the necklace in his lap and lost in his own thoughts.

It was unsettling to be the last person to know that he was engaged, something he experienced most unwelcomely before. But now he understood the conviction others held about his engagement despite his protests. Even if Bull managed discretion, Dorian was sure that the servants were talking and the rumor would carry substantial weight if it was coming directly from the small staff at Chargers Lodge. That combined with his blunder with Master Tethras would give their friends all the evidence they needed. For all of his denials, Dorian in turn appeared overly secretive or, at worst, embarrassed about the engagement.

“Why couldn’t he have proposed to me like a normal person? How was I supposed to understand this Qunari custom?” Dorian lamented aloud for not the first time. “When did the Colonel decide to become subtle?”

There was a certain vexation that came with the entire situation, a frustration at the knowledge that he had acted like a fool to the entire neighborhood. If the Colonel was plain with his intentions at the ball, then Dorian would not be in his current position. There was also some grief over his own ignorance during what was supposed to be one of the most beautiful moments in his life, but he could take some small comfort in the fact that he had not unknowingly gone to the altar. 

Or at least he did not think so.

“Maker’s breath, is it possible that he thinks us already married? No, that cannot be.” Dorian looked almost fearfully at the book of Qunari folk tales sitting on his table and did not think reading the chapter for a hundredth time would help. “Andraste help me, I certainly hope not.”

The whole thing felt too surreal, just a day ago he was a tutor without many future prospects, but now he was promised to marry a respectable man with wealth, status, and the kindest heart Dorian ever encountered. Despite their closeness, Dorian had no notion that the Colonel was courting him and no idea that thoughts of matrimony were occupying his friend’s mind. It was so wholly unexpected to Dorian, but Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford were both persuaded by the Colonel’s feelings for Dorian and no one in the neighborhood balked at the idea that they were to be married. 

Reexamining every last interaction with Colonel Ashkaari since the First Day Ball, Dorian tried to tease out any sign of particular regard. His mind turned over every affectionate look Bull gave him, the gentle touch of the Colonel’s hand upon his own, and the brush of his lips upon the back of Dorian’s hand and cheek. Before Dorian thought of the Colonel as being flirtatious, particularly in the aftermath of the ball, but now he wondered if they were all signs of a man in love.

Dorian never dared to imagine that Colonel Ashkaari might have feelings for him beyond friendship, but now that he could, he welcomed it most happily. There was no displeasure in receiving Bull’s affections and knowing that he was so admired helped to ease the prickle of annoyance that crawled over Dorian about his ignorance about his own engagement.

“Engaged for the second time,” he sighed dramatically, “and again without my knowledge.”

Several years ago, before Dorian had ever thought of making a living in southern Thedas, his parents announced his own engagement to him. The shock of the announcement was followed with an immediate rejection of his proposed bride, incurring the wrath of both his mother and father. The scheme had filled him with dread and loathing, and his parents refused to budge on their demands that he marry. It, combined with other factors, led to Dorian’s clandestine flight to Orlais.

This second engagement came with an almost equal shock as the first, but with none of the dread that accompanied it. There was not a single thought of breaking the engagement and not a moment of hesitation about his feelings for Bull. There could be nothing disagreeable about becoming the Colonel’s spouse and nothing about the arrangement that would not fulfill Dorian’s desire for a respectable living situation, comfortable domesticity, and intimate companionship.

No, there was nothing objectionable about marrying Bull.

“But I shall give him a piece of my mind about this,” Dorian vowed. “His mode of declaration was quite confusing and caused me a great deal of trouble.”

Resolved to be finished with his reflections, Dorian noticed that it was late in the morning and despite his time off from his teaching duties, he knew it would do no good to sit in his room all day. He already missed supper the night before and he was sure to have missed breakfast, probably worrying his employer. Setting aside the necklace, Dorian was determined to carry on his day as usual.

Dorian washed and dressed with care, peering into his mirror to see if he looked any different as a man to be married. There was no significant change and Dorian was pleased to see that there were no obvious signs of distress that his first engagement marked him with. Dressed sharply in dark wool suit with his makeup and hair done up, Dorian took the Colonel’s gift and fastened the necklace around his neck, letting the dragon tooth pendant hide under his suit jacket.

Satisfied with his appearance, Dorian finally left his room and felt as though he stepped into a new world. There was no denying that his life was about to radically change and he could not help but wonder if the rest of his days at Skyhold would be any different. He went downstairs to his sitting room and lit a fire in the hearth before sitting at his writing desk. Not long after Dorian was settled, Flissa came by to offer him tea and a light breakfast, which he accepted. 

Once he was alone, Dorian took up his pen and started composing a letter to his friend, Felix Alexis.  
_  
Dearest Felix,_

_To my own great surprise, I can indeed announce to you that I am to be married to Colonel Bull Ashkaari of Her Majesty’s army. Do not trouble your parents with rushing from Tevinter to attend the engagement party, I fully expect to invite them to the favorable event itself. You, of course, may accept Mrs. Sera Jenny’s invitation. I long to see you at the party, Felix, but I long even more to accept you in a home I can call my own and to have you address me as Mr. Ashkaari._  
  
His pen stopped, its tip pressing into the paper as he marveled at his words. Just the day before he could not bring himself to write to Felix and dispute the rumor, even though he believed that he was setting the record straight. Now Dorian’s own self-congratulations flowed easily onto the paper and he was shocked at the simple truth behind of them. He did want to welcome Felix into Chargers Lodge, to be able to properly host his friend, and to reintroduce the Colonel to his friend as his husband. 

“Dorian?”

He looked up from his letter to find Lady Lavellan standing in the doorway and holding a tray of tea and pastries, no doubt tipped off by Flissa about his stirring from his room. Standing, Dorian greeted his employer properly, “Good morning, Lady Lavellan.”

Ellana stepped into the sitting room and placed the tray down on the table, her face lined with worry. “Dorian, are you unwell? Come have something to eat, you missed both supper and breakfast. I teased you about it before, but I do worry about your health.”

“I am well, madam,” Dorian told her, his legs moving as he began to pace the room, the wooden floorboards creaking under his feet. The action betrayed the combination of joy, confusion, and restlessness he truly felt. The movement helped to calm him somewhat, but he failed to see Ellana’s eyes widen.

“Your pacing does little to ease my mind. Why don’t you sit down and have something to eat for breakfast?”

Dorian stopped in his tracks, flushing at the knowledge of how he must have looked. “I’m just ... flustered or rather caught off guard.” 

Her frown deepened. “What is wrong?”

Dorian dropped down onto the sofa as he acknowledged, “I am in an agreement to marry Colonel Ashkaari.”

A large smile broke out on Ellana’s face as relief and joy flooded her expression. “Tired of trying to keep it a secret?”

Laughter bubbled up from his throat and threatened to overtake him, but Dorian managed to control it. He nearly told Ellana that he just now understood the nature of the necklace the Colonel gave him, that before he was completely in the dark about the Colonel’s intentions. But he was well aware that the confession would likely make him look like a fool.

“Perhaps it is just beginning to sink in that I am engaged,” he said instead.

“It sometimes takes a while for the shock and newness to wear off,” Lady Lavellan sat down next to him and her strong, warm hand grasped his own. “It took me a good while to come to terms that I was marrying a shem. Comparable, I might add, to a Tevinter mage marrying a Tal-Vashoth.”

“We are peacemakers then.”

“That we are, my friend,” Lady Lavellan laughed. She poured Dorian a cup of tea and again urged him to eat. 

Dorian could not deny that hot tea and the buttery texture of the Orlesian pastry made him feel better. He hardly noticed how hungry he really was until he started eating.

“I’m so happy for you, Dorian, you know how highly Cullen and I think of the Colonel. I know he shall be a proper husband for you and you shall do him a world of good, you are quite the catch.”

“I would like to think that I will bring a bit of class and civility to Chargers Lodge,” Dorian preened as his nerves began to settle at her flattery.

“I think you will make an excellent master at Chargers Lodge.”

Dorian was nearly lightheaded at the notion that he would soon be the master of his own home. On his wages there was no way that Dorian could ever afford a decent house, but because of his union with the Colonel, he might very soon manage Chargers Lodge and its staff. Chargers Lodge was not one of the great estates in the neighborhood, but it was comfortable and charming. It could be quite splendid if Dorian could have his way with the place.

“When do you plan to hold the wedding?” Ellana asked. “I hope for my sake and for your own, that you’ll consider a lengthy engagement, the summer, I think. The grounds here would be ideal during that time of year, the rose garden will be in bloom.”

“I would prefer the summer,” Dorian agreed, “if you and the Commander would permit me to marry from Skyhold. The weather will be tolerable enough to have the ceremony outside.”

“We insist that you be married from our home.”

It dawned upon Dorian that there was a whole wedding to plan for. A guestlist to be drawn up and invitations sent, a menu with several courses planned, musicians and flowers chosen, and wedding clothes to be purchased. He was nearly panicked at the thought of it since so little coin lined Dorian’s pockets. Dorian wondered if Lady Lavellan might give him his next month’s pay in advance so that he could order silk from Tevinter and to hire a competent tailor in the city or if the Colonel might pay for it as a wedding gift.

“I’m going to have a wedding!” Dorian said aloud for the first time. “Maker’s breath, what are southern wedding customs? I have only been to Sera and Dagna’s wedding since coming to Orlais and I am sure that there was nothing traditional about that ceremony. Do Chantry sisters here even marry Tevinter mages and Qunari?”

Ellana patted his hand comfortingly. “I’ll have Cullen talk to you about shem customs and I am sure Sister Leliana will be happy to perform the ceremony.”

Mention of Sister Leliana reminded Dorian of a piece of troubling information. “What if Sister Leliana was telling the truth earlier and Madame Vivienne is indeed in the city to help the Colonel purchase his wedding clothes? Can you imagine what she would choose for him?” Dorian fretted fearfully. “He cannot allow it! No, Bull must be married in his dress uniform with his silverite eyepatch. I will need to write an express to him with instructions.”

“I am sure that isn’t necessary,” Ellana chuckled at him. “The Colonel understands your feelings about his attire, we all do might I add, and he would not do a single thing to displease you, Dorian.”

They sat there chatting the remains of the morning away and late into the afternoon, making preliminary plans and expressing their mutual hopes for Dorian’s happiness in marriage. Lady Lavellan was always kind to Dorian and she treated him more as a good friend than an employee, but finally Dorian himself felt that division fall away. The way Ellana spoke of him becoming her neighbor and teased him about frequent visits gave him a sense of security about the future of their friendship after his employment ceased.

At supper, Ellana officially announced the happy news to her family. Dorian felt much differently than he did when his engagement was first brought up at the dining table as he beamed at Ellana’s words.

“Mr. Dorian, are you really getting married to Colonel Bull?” Mahanon asked immediately.

“It appears that way, Mahanon,” Dorian confirmed.

He frowned at Dorian, his disapproval evident. “Colonel Bull didn’t do it right and you still don’t have a halla calf. I was going to name it Harel.”

“No naming engagement gifts after the Dread Wolf, Mahanon,” Ellana chided, causing the boy to stick out his lower lip.

Dorian could not help but to chuckle. “There are many things that the Colonel did not do correctly, but I believe that the marriage cannot be avoided now. Do you have any objections to my engagement other than my lack of appropriate halla gift?”

“Not really, but does that mean you’re my teacher anymore?” Mahanon sulked, his spoon stirring unenthusiastically in his soup.

“I’m afraid I will not continue as your tutor after I marry,” Dorian said with some regret as he did enjoy teaching the young boy, “but you are welcome to visit me whenever you please. I will always be happy to read to you and I can teach you play the piano at Chargers Lodge. But this isn’t immediate, I will marry the Colonel in the summer and so you shall have me until then.”

“Thank Mythal for that,” Ellana sighed. “I’d hate to try to find a new tutor for Mahanon this winter.”

“We will miss you here at Skyhold, Dorian, but it will be a great pleasure to see you settled in the neighborhood,” Commander Rutherford said. 

“I will be so close to Skyhold that I’m afraid you won’t have the chance to miss me, Commander. You cannot expect me to give up our weekly chess games.”

“I suppose not,” Cullen grinned. “I do hope we will be amongst the first families to dine at Chargers Lodge once you are established there.”

“I expect us to be the first,” Ellana added.

“Lady Lavellan, Commander Rutherford, you and the family shall be the first to dine at my table,” Dorian declared. “As long as Madame Vivienne does not elbow her way in before you.”

“So that means we will be second,” the Commander laughed to himself.

After supper, Dorian took some time to read aloud to Mahanon in the library and once the boy was shooed off to bed by his sister, Dorian finished writing his letter to Felix to be mailed off first thing in the morning. 

Even as he went through the motions of his evening, Dorian found that his mind distracted and too occupied with wedding plans, not a task he ever expected that he’d look upon with such pleasure. There was no rush to settle everything if he were to be married in the summer, but Dorian was filled with a restless energy that would not quit.

The wedding would need to be modest, but elegant, Dorian thought. The Colonel’s finances were nothing to scoff at, but poverty gave Dorian an excellent sense of economy and he was sure he could make do on a budget. Besides, he wanted to ask Bull to spend the money for improvements to the house more than the wedding. It meant that Dorian could not ask for all new things and would need to make do with what he already had.

He shifted through his small jewelry box in his room and considered what he could use for the occasion. His most valuable items were long sold off for the cash, though he did have a few pieces that might work well for the wedding. He possessed a couple enchanted rings from the Alexius family, a dawnstone bracelet from Bull, and a red pendant from Dagna who promised it would boost his fire spells. At the bottom of the box was a piece of jewelry wrapped in a soft cotton cloth. It took him a moment to remember that it was his family’s amulet, his birthright.

Dorian’s heart suddenly sank.

Picking it up, the amulet was cold and heavy in his hand. The Colonel could not have known what he was retrieving for Dorian when he scared Ponchard de Lieux into handing it over. The amulet was not just a family heirloom, but a symbol of Dorian’s rightful place in Tevinter society.

Since coming to the south, Dorian never breathed a word about his family line. It was bad enough that he was a mage from Tevinter, but to talk about his noble upbringing would only cause him significantly more trouble. He managed an inkling of sympathy from southerners with his obvious poverty and his assertion that he had no family, which he thought was true since his father disowned him. Dorian had long passed off his refined manners and education as a result of years of service with the Alexius family, which again was technically true, though he served Gereon as an apprentice, not as a steward or tutor.

The truth of it was that Dorian was an Altus and was once positioned to take his father’s seat in the Magisterium. His family was a topic he hadn’t ever spoken to anyone about, and Dorian honestly did not know if the Colonel would accept him with such a history. Not when Bull once fought Tevinter Magisters in the jungles of Seheron.

It spoke volumes of the Colonel that he befriended Tevinter citizens, but Dorian was of the understanding that Captain Aclassi was a Soporati and a deserter of the Tevinter army. And Dorian had convinced the Colonel of his own impoverished circumstances, earning both his pity and friendship. Dorian could conceal the unhappy truth and to maintain as he always did, but he dreaded the ramifications if Bull found out. The last thing Dorian wanted was to trap Bull in a marriage with someone he despised.

“It will certainly not bother him if I explain all the details in full. He is of such a good nature that he will not have a second thought about my family,” Dorian tried to convince himself, but his heart held a heavy doubt that instantly erased the pleasure he took in his engagement.

His sleep was poor for a second night in a row and it was still dark when Dorian woke up with gritty eyes and a steady pounding pain in his head. Dorian made no move to get up and only wrapped himself tighter in his blankets, closing his dry eyes with the hope of catching a few more minutes of sleep. He knew he was sulking like a child over something that he could be taking far out of proportion, but his mind would not let it rest.

If the Colonel rejected him, Dorian was sure that he would not be able to bear the public humiliation and heartbreak. Those worries kept Dorian awake and left him nearly immobile in bed, exhaustion weighing him down. 

The sky was turning from grey to blue when timid rap upon his door drew Dorian’s attention and ire. He let it pass, hoping that whoever was knocking would assume him asleep and move on. But the timid rapping continued, echoing in the room. 

With an annoyed groan and distinct ache in his body, Dorian managed to get out of bed and slip on his flannel dressing gown over his night clothes when he heard Flissa call for him.

“Mr. Pavus?” Flissa called meekly from the other side of the door. “Mr. Pavus, are you awake?”

“Ah, yes, I am, Flissa,” Dorian called back. “I’ll be there in just a moment, I am not decent yet.”

“Mr. Pavus, Colonel Ashkaari is here and wishes to see you.”

Dorian was startled by both the Colonel’s sudden appearance and the early hour of his visit. He did not even know that the Colonel was back in town and was expecting him to be away for at least another week. The melancholy that plagued him all night turned to anxiety and panic. Dorian rushed to his wardrobe to choose something to wear. 

“Uh, yes, Flissa, I’ll see him as soon as I can,” Dorian answered as he rummaged through the wardrobe, “Please tell the Colonel to wait, I just need to—”

Dorian didn’t have the chance to finish his sentence as the door to his room opened, revealing a harried looking Flissa and Colonel Bull Ashkaari, who looked quite determined. Not another word slipped from Dorian’s lips as Colonel Ashkaari strode into the room.


	7. Mr. Pavus Speaks To The Colonel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian's room is invaded by a colonel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a quick epilogue, because I'm no good at writing short fics.

The bedroom door closed firmly behind of Colonel Ashkaari, its latch clicking loudly in Dorian’s ears and shutting out a flustered Flissa. Dorian swiftly found himself alone with the Colonel in his private room. Colonel Bull Ashkaari always cut a fine and imposing figure, but he loomed even larger in the confined space. Dorian was never intimidated by or feared Bull, but he was bewildered by his sudden appearance. And always aware of his looks, Dorian could not help but to despair at the beautiful blue coat and crisp white trousers the Colonel wore compared to Dorian’s relative state of undress.

Dorian could not fathom the urgency that compelled the Colonel to come barging into his room at such an early hour instead of waiting for him like a gentleman. There could be no occasion for the intrusion, and the Colonel, for all of his unrefined manners, was not usually so bold. 

Raking one hand through his uncombed hair and the other clutching his dressing gown shut, Dorian began, “Colonel Ashkaari—”

Dorian did not finish his thought as Bull unexpectedly dropped onto one knee in front of him and removed something from his coat pocket. In his thick, calloused fingers, Bull held out a simple ring to Dorian, its metal matching the chain of the dragon tooth necklace. Just a second ago, Colonel Ashkaari was large and imposing, but once on his knee, the Colonel looked smaller than Dorian had ever seen him.

Dorian thought that he was confused before, but nothing could compare to how he currently felt. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that he was being proposed to for a second time by the same man.

“Bull, what is this?”

“I bought you a ring,” the Colonel said unnecessarily, with a small and uncharacteristic wobble to his voice. 

“Yes, I can see that,” Dorian replied gently, his own voice sounding unsteady.

After a moment of hesitation, the Colonel began to ramble out an explanation, “I told Krem about us, about the First Day Ball and your acceptance of my offer, but he thought that you might not have understood my intentions. I told him that you absolutely did, I gave you that book that explained it all. I admit that I was a little unsure when you did not wear the necklace the next day, but you said you were waiting and I knew then that you just weren’t ready to make the formal announcement yet.”

Dorian remembered the Colonel’s concern over the necklace after the ball, but he had no idea that his reassurances were taken in such a way. 

The Colonel paused, swallowing nervously and his single eye searched Dorian’s expression for something. Then he took advantage of Dorian’s speechlessness to press on, “But Krem said that people typically exchange rings and that you very likely thought of the necklace as a present. Then he began to tease me that someone else might make you an offer while I was away, he’s a bit of a bastard like that. And when I met with Madame Vivienne a couple days ago in the city, she told me that you were being coy about our agreement, so I ... I, uh, I bought you a ring, so you know exactly what I meant.”

The Colonel’s explanation made almost no sense to Dorian. It was hard to believe that the usually confident man in front of him was thrown into a troubling doubt over idle speculation and teasing. That Bull felt the need to cut his visit with his dearest friend to reassure himself that Dorian understood their arrangement.

“Is this why you came running into my room at this hour?” Dorian asked. “Maker, Bull, I thought you were still in Val Royeaux, you were to be there for at least another week. You might have written to me instead of coming all this way.”

“No,” Bull shook his head, “I had to see you in person immediately so there were no misunderstandings between us. If Stitches hadn’t stopped me, I would have called on you past midnight when I arrived in town. He persuaded me that you would prefer it if I bathed and changed clothes before seeing you.”

“Your steward is a good and wise man,” Dorian chuffed. “Now, get off of the floor, your knee must be killing you.”

He held out his hand and a smile spread on his face as Bull took it, hoisting himself off the floor with a pained grunt. Dorian found himself craning his neck upward as Bull stood in his space, not letting go of Dorian’s hand.

“So, did you understand?” Bull asked anxiously, taking the ring and pressing it into Dorian’s palm. “About the necklace and our engagement?”

A small shiver ran up Dorian’s spine at the sound of Bull saying the word _engagement._ He had vowed that he would tell off Bull about the trouble the Colonel’s proposal caused him, about the confusion and embarrassment he suffered. But there was such an expression of open eagerness and anxiety on Bull’s face, unlike any display Dorian had ever seen from the Colonel. His usual ease and poise were gone, replaced with a mixture of emotions that Dorian had grown accustomed to over the last several days.

“You needn’t have bought me a ring,” Dorian told him kindly even as he slipped the ring onto his finger. “I very much understand the nature of the necklace you gave me, but I shall wear both your ring and necklace should it give you comfort. Besides, I am not one to say no to tasteful jewelry.”

It was technically true, Dorian thought. He did eventually come to understand what the gift meant, just not right away.

Relief broke out across Bull’s face and his entire body relaxed at Dorian’s words. “Good, I hated the thought that someone might be in town with intentions towards you without a proper understanding between us.”

“You know that Captain Aclassi was only teasing you,” Dorian laughed. “You haven’t a thing to be jealous of, it is not as if suitors are knocking down my door. In fact, I cannot think of a single one since I arrived at Lake Celestine.”

“I can think of a couple and that Orlesian merchant was pretty eager to have you,” Bull countered rather gruffly.

Dorian did not expect to hear Bull speak of Ponchard de Lieux with such jealousy. There was never a rivalry between the two and the only contact Dorian knew that Bull had with Mr. de Lieux was when he went to retrieve Dorian’s amulet.

“Mr. de Lieux? My dear Colonel, you needn’t worry a bit about him. That man had nothing to recommend himself and he was rather coarse in his treatment of me. If I were you, I would not spare him a single thought.”

Mention of the merchant reminded Dorian of his unhappy truth and he knew that he could not allow this to continue without Bull being fully informed of the choice he was making.

“Though, speaking of Mr. de Lieux,” Dorian started.

“What of him?” The Colonel cut in swiftly.

“Nothing about that merchant, I assure you, however the mention of him reminds me of my amulet, the one you so helpfully retrieved for me.” Dorian paused, his heart thundering in his chest as he wondered if Bull would ask for his ring and necklace back. His eyes began to smart as he tried again, “You do not know what it truly represents back in Tevinter and I will tell you in full, but I hope, no matter how you may feel, that at the very least I will not lose your friendship over it.”

A small frown formed on the Colonel’s face. “Dorian, there is little that you could say that would make me reject you.”

Dorian pursed his lips, not fully believing the Colonel. “Not even if I told you that I am the son of a Magister?”

Bull’s face softened. “I figured that when I saw your amulet.”

“You know what it is?” Dorian asked, shocked by the Colonel’s admission.

“I would have been a poor intelligence officer under the Qun if I didn’t,” Bull answered easily. “And de Lieux wasn’t subtle about what he thought he was giving up.”

Hope crept up within Dorian. “But you never breathed a word of it.”

“Why would I? You obviously didn’t want to talk about your family and it is not my business to ask. Dorian, I don’t care if you are the son of a Magister or if you were a Magister yourself, I already know what a good man you are.”

Dorian’s throat tightened and he offered, “I give you leave to ask now. Even though you will likely never meet them, my parents are to become your in-laws.”

“No,” Bull shrugged with a half-smile. “As long you’re not in any danger, I’m good to wait until you’re ready.”

“Thank you.” The tension bled out of Dorian and he was more than happy to put off that particular conversation. “The only danger I might be in is receiving a curt and annoyed letter from my mother, and when that happens, we will have a good laugh together. Besides, I think as a newly engaged couple that we should put off such unpleasantness,” Dorian declared with a renewed vigor. “Indeed, we should spend our lengthy engagement in as much bliss as possible.”

Bull raised an eyebrow at Dorian. “Our lengthy engagement?”

“I made some decisions while you were away, my dear,” Dorian said with a puff of pride, showing off his initiative. “We are to marry in the summer, preferably in the rose garden here at Skyhold Manor. You will wear your dress uniform and not whatever ghastly jewel encrusted attire Madame Vivienne chose for you. I will contact my friend, Maevaris, and ask her to purchase some Tevinter silk for my own clothes. And I shall write to the Alexius family, they will surely come and, if I give them the money for it, they will bring some northern spices so we can have a proper wedding feast.”

“You have thought this through,” the Colonel said with obvious pleasure. “But I thought we already planned to have the wedding before Wintersend.”

His heart nearly stopped at the mention of such a short timeline. It filled him with greater dread than even the mention of his family.

“Before Wintersend?” Dorian repeated, his voice pitching up into a shrill. “Whatever are you talking about, Bull? When did I ever agree to marry before Wintersend?”

“After you accepted the necklace, I told you that I wanted you home by Wintersend and you agreed.”

“I thought you were inviting me over to Chargers Lodge for Wintersend, not setting a date! Maker’s breath, Wintersend is hardly more than a month away and you planned to spend three weeks in Val Royeaux?!”

“How hard is to plan a wedding?” Bull shrugged carelessly. “You wear one of your nice suits, we get Red to marry us at Chargers Lodge, and I break open the good stuff from the cellar.”

“That is not a proper wedding!” he sputtered in protested.

“This is part of the reason why Krem didn’t think you understood my proposal. He could not believe you would marry so quickly,” Bull laughed, he was standing so close that Dorian could feel the vibrations of his body. “I won’t hold you to it, we’ll marry whenever you want, but I was really hoping to have you at Chargers Lodge for Wintersend.”

“I don’t see how the date has much meaning to you,” Dorian reasoned, “besides the drinking and eating, southern holidays have had little appeal to you.”

The Colonel squeezed Dorian’s hands. “But it would mean that you would be established in our home sooner.”

Dorian flushed, both from vexation and flattery. “You will pay for new silk and a proper tailor for my wedding clothes and _if_ they are finished in time, you will have me at Charges Lodge for the holiday.”

“See, you’re already great at being married,” Bull teased, “you’ve come up with a more than fair compromise.”

“I am naturally talented at many things,” Dorian insisted. “But marriage was not one that I was expecting. I must say, Bull, that your offer came as a great surprise. How could I have known that you intended to marry me?”

“A surprise?” It was Colonel Ashkaari’s turn to look confused. “I have been seriously courting you for over a year, Dorian.”

“A year?” Dorian could hardly believe the Colonel’s declaration. He was sure that he would notice if he was being courted.

“Over a year,” the Colonel insisted fervently. “I’ve been flirting with you since we met and actively courting you since I got you that Tevinter horse so we can go riding together. Or maybe it was when I escorted you to the city to visit your friend and Madame Vivienne lent me use of her apartments for your comfort. No, it must have been two Summer Days ago, when I got you that wooden duck on the advice of Varric’s steward.”

“Well,” Dorian huffed, “you were certainly subtle about it.”

“You’re a gentleman,” the Colonel replied simply, “and I needed to court you like one.”

“I may be technically a gentleman, but I certainly do not always need to be treated as one. I am one who can handle a bit of boldness.”

The words came out huskier, more enticing than Dorian intended and their effect was almost immediate. The Colonel’s single eye widened before darkening and gripping Dorian’s hips with his large hands, he closed the short distance between them and lowered his face to Dorian’s. Too many seconds passed by before Dorian realized that he was being kissed.

The Colonel’s kiss was near electric, his lips hot against Dorian’s and the slick slide of his tongue nearly overwhelmed Dorian. He was no innocent, but Dorian not had so much as a kiss since he arrived at Lake Celestine. For a man who once caused great scandal back in Tevinter with his paramours, he lived a rather chaste life since becoming employed at Skyhold.

Despite his recent chastity, Dorian easily fell into the embrace, his hands clutching onto wide shoulders as if afraid that the Colonel might change his mind and pull away. But he did just the opposite, pressing close to Dorian, the buttons and metal fastenings of his clothing digging through the flimsy fabric of Dorian’s night clothes. A soft moan escaped from Dorian’s throat and without a second thought, he began to pull his fiancé to the bed and Bull followed most willingly.

A firm, but polite knock on the door caused them to freeze before they could reach the bed, their lips just barely parted from each other and the Colonel’s hold on Dorian remained firm and secure. Another knock rapped upon the door, followed by Commander Rutherford’s hesitant voice.

“Colonel Ashkaari,” the Commander called, “why don’t you come downstairs and join us for breakfast? The cook has just put it on the table. You may resume your visit with Dorian once he’s had a moment to dress.”

“Uh, right,” Bull called back, his body straightening up. “I’ll be down in a moment, Commander.”

“I’ll just wait here for you, Colonel,” came Cullen’s muffled answer.

Dorian smothered his laughter as he leaned into Bull’s chest and whispered, “I suppose we would do well not to cause too much of a scandal for Lady Lavellan and Commander Rutherford during my last days at Skyhold.”

The Colonel reluctantly left the room and Dorian hurried to change, hardly noticing what he was putting on, except for his dragon tooth necklace. Once he was dressed, Dorian rushed down the stairs and to the dining room where Bull and the family were already starting on breakfast.

He sat at the dining table next to Colonel Ashkaari, the same as countless times before, but this time the Colonel had the distinction of being Dorian’s fiancé. Under the table, the Colonel laid his hand on Dorian’s knee and though it was out of sight from the family, the arched eyebrow Cullen gave them showed that it did not go unnoticed. Still, the Colonel did not remove his hand.

“What a pleasure it is to have you back at Skyhold, Colonel Ashkaari,” Ellana beamed, pouring herself a cup of tea.

“I’m glad to be back,” the Colonel replied. “I suppose I shouldn’t have left to begin with. There’s a lot of planning to do, or so Dorian has told me.”

“Is there?” Lady Lavellan asked with amusement. “Dorian, are you planning a grand affair for the wedding?”

“Quite the opposite, Lady Lavellan,” Dorian told her. “It is to be a rather intimate gathering, though hastier than I first expected. We are to married before Wintersend.”

“Before Wintersend!?” Lady Lavellan sucked in a deep breath. “Wintersend of this year?”

“Indeed, madam,” Dorian managed not to smile. “It is the Colonel’s dearest wish to have me at Chargers Lodge before the holiday.”

“Mythal have mercy! I’ll need to find a new tutor for Mahanon right away. There is so much to be planned! Dorian, draw up a guestlist today and I will visit the Chantry while I’m in town and speak with Sister Leliana.”

“And Colonel Bull still needs to give Mr. Dorian a halla calf!” Mahanon piped up, his eyes wide and determined. “It’s not a real engagement without one.”

“It’s not? Am I missing something?” Bull blinked in confusion.

Dorian smiled. “It is apparently a prerequisite for any good engagement, my dear.”

Once breakfast was finished, Bull sat with Dorian in his small sitting room, gossiping together side by side on the sofa as they often did. However, this time they had the pleasure of dreaming of their future together and planning their fast-approaching wedding. The Commander also seemed to be particularly interested in keeping them company, walking into the sitting room now and then so that they were not alone together for a prolonged amount of time.

They only parted until well after supper and dessert, when Dorian finally saw the Colonel out as he lingered outside as they waited for Dennet to bring the Colonel’s horse from the stables. They huddled together in the cold, Bull’s great bulked blocked the wind and Dorian was confident enough to stand close so as to soak up the heat his fiancé emitted.

“Come to Chargers Lodge tomorrow,” Bull implored. “I’ll come by with the carriage in the morning to get you and we’ll have breakfast together. Then you can spend the day telling Dalish what changes you want made to the house.”

“I would be most pleased to spend the day with you,” Dorian obliged. “But do not be surprised if the Commander calls on you unexpectedly while I’m there, he seems most interested in making sure I arrive at the altar with some honor intact.”

“I do enjoy a challenge.”

“I’m sure you do.” Leaning his head against Bull’s shoulder, Dorian started, “A question, if I may, my dear Colonel.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Earlier, you told me that you knew that I wasn’t ready to make an announcement about our engagement, however there has been little else that our neighbors have been talking about. Do you know why that is? They certainly did not hear it from me.”

Bull shifted and a nervous little chuckle escaped from him. “I may have mentioned something to Varric at the end of the ball when he was bidding me goodbye.”

“Master Tethras,” Dorian let out a breathless laugh and understanding where the rumor, and all of its validity, came from. “Of course, you spoke to Master Tethras about it, of all people.”

“I didn’t mean for it to be a bother, I know you weren’t quite ready,” Bull apologized, before adding, “Varric’s steward, the boy, Cole, also said something to me as I left. He told me, ‘he loves you, but he doesn’t understand.’ I don’t know what he meant, but I thought about it when Krem suggested you didn’t understand my proposal.”

Dorian ducked his head to hide the flush on his cheeks. “Mr. Cole is a well-meaning young man, but you cannot always listen to what he says.” Feeling a little brave, Dorian looked up at the Colonel. “At least the first half of what he said was correct.”

The smile Colonel Ashkaari gave him was brighter than the one he had at the First Day Ball when Dorian accepted the necklace. His arms wrapped around Dorian’s waist and a soft kiss was pressed into dark hair with a murmur of, “Kadan.”

Leaning into the embrace, Dorian could hardly stand the fact that Bull was returning to Chargers Lodge without him. He was already counting the days until they were married and he suddenly did not know if he could have waited until the summer to marry. Wintersend, at that moment, seemed very far away.


	8. Mr. Ashkaari Receives A Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian receives a friend at Chargers Lodge.

Before Dorian opened his eyes, he knew immediately that he had slept in later than usual. The sun was warm across his face, telling Dorian that it was late in the morning. Even before stretching his arm out to the other side of the mattress, Dorian knew it would be empty considering the lateness of the hour. The sheets on other side of the bed were cool under his palm and without any hint of warmth. Cracking open his eyelids, Dorian confirmed that he was indeed alone.

It didn’t bother him greatly, these days it wasn’t often that Dorian got the chance to lounge in bed on his own and he took a moment to stretch his limbs out. His body ached in the best of ways and he was happy to lay between the sheets. But Dorian knew that there was much to that morning and nothing would get done without his steady hand.

Letting out a long yawn, Dorian peeled himself out of bed and was pleased to find his house slippers lined up by his side of the four-post bed and his dressing gown neatly hanging off the back of a nearby chair. A small fire was also merrily crackling away in the bedroom fireplace, fighting off the early morning chill. Grabbing the dressing gown from the chair, Dorian took a moment to look out the window.

Before him was the dreariness of an Orlesian spring, the unrelenting drizzle turned the lawns to mud and the clouds hung low in the sky, catching on the mountains. Even the woods that lined the properties of Chargers Lodge and Skyhold Manor appeared grey and the pathway winding towards Skyhold was almost awash from the rain. 

Wrapping his pleasantly sore body up in his robe and sliding his cold feet into his slippers, Dorian prepared for the day. He opened up his closet door and was confronted with a variety of choices. There was an abundance of beautifully tailored shirts, coats, waistcoats, and trousers that filled his closet and it left him lingering about to choose his attire for the day. His eyes wandered down to his old trunk sitting on the floor of the closet, smirking with the knowledge that his worldly possessions no longer fit in it.

A fine dark green coat was his choice for the day, paired with a black waistcoat made of silk over a crisp white shirt. He chose a few tasteful pieces from his jewelry box sitting on the vanity to complete the ensemble. Once he finished dressing and his hair done to his satisfaction, Dorian made sure to put on his dragon tooth necklace, its weight resting comfortingly on his chest, before leaving his chambers.

Climbing down the stairs, Dorian ran into Dalish at the foot of them. She smiled cheerfully at him and bid, “Good morning, Mr. Ashkaari.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Dalish.”

“I just finished freshening up the guestroom for Lord Alexius. I added a few extra blankets, put some heating runes on the nightstand, and replaced the plain soaps by the basin with the vanilla ones, as you asked, sir,” she informed him. “Everything should be prepared for his arrival today.”

“Very good, thank you, Mrs. Dalish,” he nodded, pleased to hear it.

“I did wish to speak to you about tomorrow, sir,” Dalish added.

“I know that the others have tomorrow off for Miss Skinner’s birthday,” Dorian interrupted, knowing that he had to be stern with his staff. Colonel Ashkaari was such a light touch with them, it was a wonder that anything got done around the house before Dorian arrived. “But with our guest here, I simply cannot spare you tomorrow.”

“I understand, Mr. Ashkaari.”

Dorian waivered a bit before adding, “I cannot allow you to leave until noon.”

“Of course, Mr. Ashkaari.”

“Well, I shall most likely only need you to help with breakfast,” he amended, “Lord Felix does enjoy a hot meal in the morning. But most certainly not before then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ashkaari.”

“And when you next see my husband, tell him that I have instructed that he give you extra pocket money, so that you may purchase supper for everyone at that restaurant in town Miss Skinner enjoys so much.”

“That is very generous of you, Mr. Ashkaari,” Dalish thanked him with a pleased smile. “The Chief already had his breakfast and is in the study, will you be joining him? I can have Skinner bring you your breakfast there.”

“Thank you, yes, I will join him. Please do ask Miss Skinner to bring me some toast with butter and black tea.”

“The Chief said that you were to have a full breakfast, Mr. Ashkaari,” Dalish tutted, “and on this matter, we best not disappoint him.”

“Very well, Mrs. Dalish,” he rolled his eyes and made his way to the study. 

The study was a cozy room, small in comparison to the other rooms in the house and especially with the large white oak desk and the Colonel sitting behind of it. It was also entirely decorated in Colonel Ashkaari’s tastes, with its pale floral wallpaper, lace curtains hanging over the window, a variety of battleaxes on the wall, and Captain Aclassi’s garish portrait hanging over the fireplace, since removed from the library. Though Dorian was sure that the Colonel wouldn’t protest if he started making changes, as Dorian had done with the rest of the house. 

Opening the door to the study, he found his husband sitting at his desk and writing a letter most likely to Captain Aclassi. Dorian thought his husband looked exceptionally well in his simple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and paired with a powder blue waistcoat. Resting on the Colonel’s chest was the twin to Dorian’s own dragon tooth necklace and on his pinky finger was a dawnstone ring that Dorian used his savings from teaching to purchase.

Dorian rounded the corner of the desk and confirmed his suspicions about the letter. “Good morning, amatus,” Dorian pressed a kiss on Bull’s cheek. “Writing your daily letter to Captain Aclassi?”

“Of course,” Bull answered as he looked up from his letter, leaning back in his chair as he rested hands on Dorian’s hips, “and that is no way to greet your husband.” He pulled Dorian halfway onto his lap and captured his lips with his own in a long kiss. “Better.”

Dorian squirmed away and he straightened his clothes, though he could not suppress his smile. “At least we are in private this time,” Dorian sighed dramatically.

“The staff doesn’t mind, they’re used to it by now,” Bull brushed aside Dorian’s concern with an insufferable grin. “I hope you’ll be taking your breakfast in here with me.”

“Of course, you know how I hate dining alone. You might have woken me up so I could have taken my meal in the dining room with you rather than let me sleep in like that, amatus.”

“I thought you could have used the rest after last night,” Bull all but preened as Dorian rolled his eyes.

“Insatiable,” Dorian murmured as he took a seat at the overstuffed chair near the desk and well within Bull’s long reach. 

“What was that, kadan?”

“I said that’s very considerate of you, amatus,” Dorian answered sweetly and just managed to dodge Bull’s grabby hand.

Skinner soon came in with Dorian’s breakfast, which he ate as he dictated to his husband his plans for Felix’s visit. In the short months since Dorian’s wedding, he had hosted a variety of successful suppers and salons at Chargers Lodge, though Felix would be the first guest to stay with them and Dorian was determined to make an impression.

“If the weather warms, we should take a ride to the lake, I think Felix will enjoy that. We will also need to call on the Mrs. Jennys, Felix absolutely should see Dagna’s workshop. Lady Josephine has invited us to tea on Friday, we are to accept, of course, as I must see how Captain Thom Montilyet is settling into his new role as a husband and gentleman. And Master Tethras has invite us all to a ball next week, he has assured me that there will be many eligible young ladies in attendance.”

“I would think that you’d have no interest in young ladies,” Bull teased.

“You must know that I am only thinking of Felix’s sake, he very much enjoys dancing and I would not want him to be bored. Besides,” Dorian leaned in to place his hand on Bull’s arm, “dances hosted by Master Tethras have yielded desirable results in the past.”

“You’re a big romantic fop.” Bull’s hand covered Dorian’s as he moved in to steal another kiss. “You just want Felix to marry a lady from the neighborhood who will persuade him to stay at Lake Celestine. You know, Cullen’s younger and unmarried sister has been staying with the family since Wintersend and Cullen is sure that she has no intention to quit the neighborhood. Perhaps we should arrange an introduction?”

“You are a man of excellent ideas, amatus,” Dorian laughed. “Oh, that reminds me, I need you to write a note to Ellana to confirm that we will dine with her and the family tomorrow,” he told his husband.

“Oh? You don’t want to stay in tomorrow and let Felix rest from his trip?”

“Felix is only coming from Val Royeaux and his health is not in a delicate condition, so I am not too worried. Besides, the entire staff will be out tomorrow for Miss Skinner’s birthday. I did have to be firm with Mrs. Dalish today and told her that I could not let her go until after breakfast tomorrow, I hope I did not disappoint her too much. Also, you must give Mrs. Dalish some money for their supper tomorrow.”

The corner to Bull’s mouth curled up. “You are tough, but fair, kadan.”

“Someone around here must be.”

After his breakfast, Dorian brought his dishes to the kitchen and spoke to Skinner about supper for that evening, requesting that she use the lamb recently bought from the butchers for a curry and telling her about the best way to boil the rice. She looked at him with her same bored expression she always gave him, but Dorian was confident Skinner would carry out his instructions. 

By the end of it he somehow ended up promising her extra pocket money for her birthday.

Restless, Dorian paced the halls of Chargers Lodge, making sure everything was in order for his visitor. He double checked the guestroom and ask Dalish to bring in another extra quilt and Dorian’s spare dressing gown, just in case Felix forgot his own. He then asked Rocky, the gardener and Mrs. Dalish’s husband, to cut some early blooming flowers to fill the vase on the dresser in the guestroom. He even ventured outside into the cold Orlesian spring air to speak to Grim in the stables, asking him to oil and tend to an extra saddle in case they chose to go riding later in the week.

On the way back into the house, Dorian ran into Stitches, Bull’s steward, and asked him to review the inventory in the wine cellar, before telling Stitches to choose a couple of bottles for himself and the rest of the staff for their outing the next day.

“Kadan,” Bull found Dorian in the library, where he was pulling books that he thought Felix might enjoy. “I have been told by every one of our staff that I am to give them extra money per your instruction.”

“Why yes, of course,” Dorian confirmed, not looking up from his stack of books. “We may have high expectations for our staff, but it will not do for us to be miserly, amatus, especially for a special occasion.”

A fond smile spread across Bull’s face. “You know, you could give them the money yourself, just note it in the ledger.”

“No, I find that I am much better at telling you how to spend the money than keeping track of the books. Anyway, I know you enjoy your organized ledgers and numbers,” Dorian protested. “Now, do you think we should send Skinner into town and purchase some candied dates for Felix? We only have three large jars of them left.”

“I think, kadan, that you should take a break and we should finish reading that chapter in the new book you bought from Merrill.”

A protest was on the tip of Dorian’s tongue, but he knew how much the Colonel enjoyed having Dorian read aloud to him. “I will oblige you, my dear Colonel, since my attention will be completely consumed by Felix once he arrives.”

Bull stole a kiss from Dorian with a smirk. “Had you said that about any other man, I would have been driven to jealousy.”

Dorian read to Bull in their parlor, seated in his red armchair with a book in his hand and a cup of tea that Skinner brought him while Bull listened with rapt attention. The domesticity they shared was one of the things Dorian loved most about being married. Just the pleasure of the Colonel’s company as they took their meals, read books, played music, and walked the gardens never continued to delight Dorian. And Dorian always looked forward to the end of the day, when they retired to their bedroom and he could fall into Bull’s warm embrace.

And the charms of being master of Chargers Lodge had yet to wear thin and his mark upon it was becoming more prominent. Just in the parlor were accents of northern decor, he replaced the atrociously ornate Orlesian rug with a tasteful Tevinter woven one, filled the china cabinet with northern tea ware, and framed the windows in Tevinter made velvet drapes. The Colonel was very obliging, especially when Dorian started instructing Skinner in making northern curries and spiced meats for their suppers.

Dorian found married life quite agreeable. 

As much as Dorian enjoyed reading to the Colonel, he was anxious to receive his friend. He had hardly managed to read half a dozen pages before he heard footsteps echoing down the hall accompanied by the murmur of voices, both familiar to Dorian. He closed the book with a quick snap and jumped to his feet before the door even opened.

The door swung open and Dalish stepped in, a delighted smile on her face as she made a show to curtsy to Dorian, something she rarely ever did. “Mr. Ashkaari, Colonel Ashkaari, Lord Felix Alexius here to see you,” Dalish announced.

An elegant Tevinter gentleman stepped into the room, well dressed in a flattering yellow coat, cream trousers, and tall boots. Felix appeared quite pleased, his cheerful expression unfaltering as he stepped into the room and his eyes landed on Dorian.

Dorian closed the gap between he and Felix, grasping his hands. “Welcome to Chargers Lodge, Felix.”

“Good to see you, Felix!” Bull’s voice boomed in the quaint room.

“Dorian,” Felix kissed Dorian’s cheek, “Colonel Ashkaari, it is so good to see you, my friends. You both appear to be in good health.”

“You also look well, but your hands are freezing, my friend! Mrs. Dalish, please fetch a fresh pot of tea and something to eat for our guest,” Dorian bid.

“Of course, sir,” Dalish curtsied again and headed out the door.

It was always a great pleasure to see his friend, but there was something undeniably satisfying to be able to welcome Felix into a home that was rightfully his own.

Dalish came back in with the tea, and they all caught up over tea and delicate cucumber and ham sandwiches. After finishing their snack and sufficiently catching up, Bull politely made his excuses and left the room, as if sensing Dorian and Felix’s desire for privacy. There were no secrets between Dorian and his husband, but there was the need for him and Felix to speak freely between each other. Dorian saw Felix and his family at the wedding, but in the rush of the event, he could hardly speak two words together to his friend.

“You look remarkably well, Dorian,” Felix professed. “I could not have imagined that marriage would be so wholly agreeable to you and the Colonel practically beams whenever he looks at you.”

“We are sickeningly happy,” Dorian confirmed, unable to keep the grin off of his face. “It is fortunate that I will look exceptional with a smile.”

“I am so pleased for you, my friend.”

“Despite my perfect happiness, being a married man is not all that easy, running my own household is quite a bit of work. You can hardly imagine the state of this house and the staff when I first arrived,” Dorian said. “This house was positively Orlesian in its decor, there was hardly a book to be seen, and the Colonel is far too soft hearted and lenient with the servants, but I cannot fault him for his kindness.”

“You do keep a lovely home, it has quite improved since I last visited,” Felix praised, “and my mother will be pleased to know that you are using the tea set she gave you.”

“I will need to send your parents a formal invitation to visit. Next time they come to visit you in Val Royeaux, do insist that they come to Lake Celestine.”

“I will and perhaps by then Mother will have forgiven you for the hastiness of your wedding, my mother is still complaining of the little notice you gave her. You are fortunate that my parents were already planning to visit me in Val Royeaux for Wintersend, Mother would have never forgiven you if she missed your wedding.”

“You know the haste the Colonel was in to marry me and who was I to deny his perfectly reasonable desire?” Dorian replied haughtily. “I let him suffer for long enough, as you know, he was patiently courting me for over a year.”

“Strange how you never mentioned your courtship with the Colonel,” Felix countered, his eyebrow arching. “You were always close to him and always spoke fondly of him, but you never hinted that you thought he had any intentions toward you. I suspected you would have bragged to me long ago about your very desirable suitor.”

“You know that I am not one to gossip.”

Felix’s eyebrow arched even further up at Dorian’s protest and his lips pursed as if to smother the laughter that was clearly twinkling in his eyes. But Felix did not get the chance to refute Dorian’s claim as something else caught his attention. He rose to his feet, approaching the large window that provided a fine prospect of the gardens behind the house.

“Maker’s breath, Dorian! Is that a halla wandering around in your gardens?” Felix gasped, staring out the window. “That beast is eating your shrubbery!”

“Her name is Harel,” Dorian sniffed, not having stirred from the sofa as Felix made such a display over his much beloved halla calf. “She a Dalish requirement for an engagement and a present from the Colonel, and she is a lady, not a beast.”

“Andraste have mercy, Dorian! How does one even take care of that kind of animal?”

“My former charge, Mahanon, taught Mr. Grim to tend to Harel and Mahanon comes by to help care for her,” Dorian answered with ease. “They are both awfully fond of her, she is a sweet natured creature.” 

“You made the poor Colonel gift you a Qunari engagement necklace, a ring, and a wild animal?” Felix sighed with a shake of his head as he watched the halla munch away at the grass, happily tearing up the lawn. “How many reminders of your engagement did you need?”

“I wanted it universally known that Bull and I had an agreement. Indeed, there could be no doubt about our engagement,” Dorian declared.

Turning from the window, Felix crossed the room and sat back down next to Dorian, saying, “At your wedding, Commander Rutherford told me the most peculiar thing and I have been meaning ask you about it, my friend.”

“Do ask away.”

“He told me that you were so shy about your engagement that you denied it at first and refused to admit that you were to be married to the Colonel. Such behavior seems rather contrary to your own personality, do you not agree? Was there something wrong, Dorian? You are undeniably happy now and your husband is a most deserving man, but was there some hesitation in accepting the Colonel?”

There was real concern behind Felix’s words and in the way his hand rested upon Dorian’s. Dorian was flattered by his friend’s consideration, but quickly tried to allay his fears.

“Felix, there could be no hesitation in accepting Bull as my husband. No, I have loved him for a very long time, longer than I care to admit, and I was delighted to accept his offer. But you know me to be a sensitive man, how was I to react to all of the sudden attention upon me? It is true that I was reluctant to make the announcement so soon due to my truly gentle nature.”

Felix sat there, his face thoughtful as he reclined back against the sofa and considered Dorian’s words.

“You didn’t know that you were engaged, did you?”

“I hadn’t a clue.”


End file.
